Dust To Dust
by Hack.Drawer
Summary: At GrandLine High, the Vinsmoke brothers rule. Cruel, cunning, loud, they like making everyone miserable. Sanji locks in on the quiet new kid, determined to make his life Hell after being insulted; but it takes a class project to show him a new side of life he'd never seen, before. AU, SchoolBully!Sanji, language, high school setting *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I needed a mean and evil Sanji in my life. I don't know where this is going, but it gets pretty bad. I had to write it; it came to me in mid-nap and wanted me to write it. Don't expect constant updates of it, through – I'm still involved in my WAAMoS. I just had to share it because I can find any mean Sanji fics. The thought of him as a bully makes my icy cold heart smile.**

 **Title taken from the song, 'Dust to Dust' by the Civil Wars, which should give a good indication of where this story will go.**

 **1**

* * *

The Vinsmoke brothers were a rotten bunch. Rich, snotty, excelling in nearly everything they put their hands in save for social skills, they happened to rule Grandline High with identical sets of fists and rapidly speaking mouths twisted with cutdowns. But they were charming in their own way; their charisma was every unsuspecting victim's downfall. Their father paid for their mistakes and praised their successes, and their peers were forced to look at their involvement as a way of survival; if they could get through high school eluding the infamous Vinsmoke attention, then they could say they made it.

Given that they were fraternal, each Vinsmoke brother had their own identifying characteristics; Ichiji was quiet and dangerous, with his bright red hair and Hermes glasses, wearing his maroon and white uniform rigidly and fitted without any flaw. He excelled in nearly every subject except for PE, physical activity being the only thing he truly detested unless he was wearing the traditional gi for Brazilian Jiujitsu. Niji wore his collar loose and slacks too fitted, always with black loafers because he liked to whack people with them if they happened to piss him off; he fiddled and worried over his blue hair constantly, and complained often about everything. Yonji was the largest and the tallest, his uniform often loose and open, and he liked wearing the most expensive Jordans, with long black socks; he expressed himself physically, and had no hesitations expressing himself vocally. Sanji wore his uniform sweaters loose and his collars tight, slacks hemmed over his white shoes, and he snapped gum constantly while smelling of Sonomas and spice.

Their teachers learned early that they could separate the brothers if needed, but they still spoke loudly and openly to each other no matter where they were in the classroom. After getting away with most ordinary offenses throughout their teenage lives, the boys weren't afraid to challenge anybody that tried to rein them in. In their current class, long after the morning bell had rung and their teacher checked roll, Yonji was shouting at Niji from the front of the class, while Niji sat in the back, kicking the chair in front of him; the poor girl looked near tears as she inched closer to her classmate in front of her.

Sanji was bent over his desk, scrolling through Instagram and shouting back when needed, but he wasn't interested in their banter while he had local girls' to Like. It was a typical day at Grandline, and while none of them had any particular interests to pay attention to, it wasn't going to be just another day.

Today was going to be different.

When the new student walked in with hunched shoulders to hide his true height, all black clothing and a tense expression that carried the remnants of a black eye, everyone looked at him with interest. Yonji hunched over his desk to give a closer inspection, hugging the desktop in his arms as the new student handed over a slip and grunted in response to the teacher's question.

Sanji only looked up from his phone because he heard Yonji say loudly, "Hey, newbie, show me your tits!"

"Oh my god, Yonji, you can't just ask for guys to show their tits!" Niji complained, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair with an impatient growl. "Can we start _learning_ , now? Because I'm in danger of losing my mind!"

"It's not that I'm gay," Yonji said to the poor kid behind him, the teacher ignoring him while he told the newbie to take a seat in front of Sanji, "it's for a safety check. All emo kids are carrying, nowadays. I need to know whose ass to kiss if they snap suddenly."

Sanji dismissed the new kid because when the kid made his way to his seat, he resembled a very timid mouse. Eyes down, mouth tight, every step a chore as the others looked at him with interest. Sanji complained only when his seat hit his desk as he sat, causing Sanji's phone to tilt a little to the left.

The male teacher started talking about 9/11, and Sanji put his phone away with a heavy sigh, leaning back in his chair to stare up at the ceiling, vaguely listening. Niji mimicked the sound and pretended to snore loudly, causing discomfort amongst those sitting around him. Only Yonji took active notes because he didn't want to miss out on wrestling season, asking questions only to draw the actual lesson out – to prod the teacher into distraction.

Sanji looked at the kid in front of him, noting that the black hooded sweater had a perfectly round hole in the shoulder, and he smelled like cigarettes. He looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed with awful bed head, a noticeable whirl at the crown. He was tall, but kept himself hunched, as if he were smaller. He was absurdly thin, with slender hands and skin stretched so tightly over his skull that it looked painful. Once he sat in his chair, he sunk low with his hands fisting up into his jeans pockets, not looking up once from his desk. Those sitting next to him offered their names and greeted him cheerfully, but he didn't acknowledge them, causing their expressions to drop with discomfort.

 _Should I make the same effort as Yonji_? Sanji wondered, lips pulled into a thoughtful frown.

When the bell rang, Sanji gathered up his things and skipped out before Niji and Yonji could, and went on with his day without a second thought to the kid.

Two days later, the kid stumbled into class, ten minutes late and essentially wearing the same thing Sanji had seen him in days earlier. He sat at his desk and continued to stare at his notebook without opening it for the entire lecture, then refused to answer the only question the teacher tossed at him in order to draw him into the discussion. He gave a limp shrug as a response, and that was when Niji finally noticed him.

"Maybe he's _not_ English!" Niji complained, crossing his arms and sinking low in his seat.

"There are hundreds of languages used here in America, and you chose to use English automatically?" Sanji cried with dismay, their teacher looking several years too tired to deal with their shit, today.

"HAH! No, guys we're American, here!" Yonji shouted, twisting in his seat. "British belong back over the lake!"

" _Ocean_ , stupid!"

When the new kid pulled up his hood and sunk low in his chair at the attention, Sanji snorted. The kid might as well as have put a target on his back. Showing any sign of weakness in front of the Vinsmokes was the wrong answer to every unspoken question.

"Aw, we made the English guy self conscious," Yonji observed, his tone dripping with fake concern.

"Welcome to America, bitch," Niji commented.

"Are we still paying attention to him, or are we moving onto more relevant things, like my dick?" Sanji asked, snickering as he pulled out his phone.

"Shut up, Sanji!" Yonji hollered as he twisted back around in his chair to face forward, Niji scoffing from his. "No one likes you!"

At lunch, on their way to the Buick their father had given them for their last birthday so Niji could smoke his special brew, Ichiji could get some fresh air and Sanji could smoke without being lectured, Yonji spotted the kid near the end of the parking lot, smoking a cigarette while seated atop of a concrete car stop.

"Hey, English!" he bellowed, waving a bulky arm to catch his attention. The kid ignored him, turning the volume up on some device in his hoodie pocket, adjusting headphones hidden under the hood. "Hey, _English_! What you doing over there? Hiding from the Boston Tea Party, eh?"

"You're a fucking idiot," Ichiji said with disapproval.

"Gimme your lighter," Niji demanded of Sanji after rustling through the backseat for his box of supplies.

"Give it back right after," Sanji warned him.

"We decided that he doesn't speak English," Yonji told Ichiji as he pulled out a bag of Skittles from the left passenger backseat door. Dropping several into his mouth as Ichiji turned to look at him with a questioning frown, Sanji and Niji next to them, pushing and shoving each other until the item was in Niji's hand.

"Then why are you calling him 'English?'" Ichiji asked with a furrowed brow.

"I wasn't thinking hard enough for another name," Yonji explained, rolling the candies around in his mouth.

"Why am I related to you?"

"Because God thought you were lacking, so he sent you an angel."

Not wanting to get into it with his younger brother, Ichiji scowled, Yonji grinning at him before leaning over to spat rainbow colored spit onto the pavement. Once he had his lighter in hand, Sanji leaned against the driver's side door and blew smoke into the air. Around them, other kids had the same ideas, enjoying music and talk in the parking lot as teachers watched them from a picnic table nearby, not interested in busting any of them for any wrong doing. Sanji looked over at the kid in the black hoodie, noting that he was also wearing the same jeans as the last time – Sanji knew because they were hideous, and rolled over scruffy old Pumas that must've come out from someone's trashcan.

That night, the four of them were followed after their father to a restaurant downtown, and that's when Sanji saw him, sitting with three men at one of the tables near the back. The kid looked the same as he did at school; hunched and quiet, taking up as little space as he could while two of the men talked with hand gestures and annoyed expressions, and another stared vaguely into space. The Vinsmokes took up a large table towards the middle, Niji and Yonji arguing over a seat while Ichiji took his with an irritated expression, Judge signaling for a drink. Because of their loud voices, the kid in the hood took notice of them. Sanji watched him roll his eyes and turn to slouch in the other direction, but Yonji noticed him.

"Hey, English!" he called, waving grandly, Niji taking advantage of the moment to sit in the chair they'd argued over.

"That a friend of yours?" Judge asked gruffly, scanning the table settings with a critical eye as he sat.

"Yonji is obsessed with him," Sanji said. " _Fag_."

"I never met a real life foreigner, before," Yonji said with a shrug, reaching over to swat Sanji upside the head for his comment, Sanji losing his gum in the process.

"Yet that entire table is speaking properly with an accent similar to ours," Ichiji said, examining his nails as a couple of waiters hurried over to greet them.

"Don't associate yourselves with that type of riff-raff," Judge said, examining those men with a frown. "Money isn't always kind to those that deserve it."

"You know them, father?" Ichiji asked, frowning at the glass of water poured in front of him.

"Does it look as if I'd associate with men who wear fur?" Judge asked him.

"Maybe they're drag queens," Niji snickered, looking over once more. "That kid's probably drag in training."

"That guy's wearing _lipstick_!" Yonji gasped. "Oh my god, is that English's mom? Or dad? Or how does that work, nowadays? One hundred and sixty-four genders in the world, and I can barely tell _two_ of them!"

"Dad, please take away his internet privileges," Ichiji complained.

"Be nice to each other," Judge said, heaving a tired sigh as he relaxed into his chair.

"Examining your future family?" Sanji asked Yonji. " _Fag_."

"Shut up, Sanji! Dad! Sanji's insulting my masculinity, again!"

"Don't mock your younger brother for his femininity, Sanji," Judge said vaguely, looking over the menu.

"I apologize," Sanji said to Yonji, lips out with mocking sympathy. "Find it in your heart to forgive my rudeness for outing you before you were ready."

"No. Never. I was planning on telling Dad around Homecoming, but you ruined it," Yonji sniffed.

"God, why am I related to you?" Ichiji muttered again, slouching a little before straightening his shoulders and adjusting his glasses.

"Because God felt you needed a lesson."

"Dad, make him stop talking to me."

"Go sit with your other family," Sanji told Yonji, kicking him under the table. Yonji kicked him back.

"Oh, they're leaving," Niji reported, the brothers looking over, Ichiji unable to help himself. As the men rose, their newest classmate ended up bumping against the table in his haste to rise, knocking over a half finished glass of red wine that rocked and fell against one of the men's jackets. The tall, blond man looked down at the damage, face tightening as one of the waiters hurried over with a wet towel, mopping up the mess. The kid looked frozen with horror before looking up at him apprehensively. But they all walked away, and the brothers lost interest, returning to mocking each other over the table over each other's masculinity. Only Sanji noticed when that man ensnared the kid's arm in one massive hand and the kid cringed as he was briefly reprimanded before shoved away.

He smirked.

Friday, the kid showed up to class in proper uniform, Sanji noting the swollen cheek as he slunk into his chair and continued to stare down at his closed notebook. Around them, everyone cheerfully discussed plans for the weekend and showed off recent memes, Yonji tossing back Skittles and spitting rainbow flavored spit into an empty water bottle, yelling across the room to another kid sitting near the door.

With his pen, Sanji poked the kid in front of him, saying, "Hey, hey, you rich?"

The kid ignored his prodding, so Sanji kicked his chair.

"I'm talking to you. Why are you so rude?"

When he still didn't get a response, he stood up and leaned over his desk, reaching out to poke the kid's cheek that was giving promise to a blooming bruise just underneath a pale stretch of skin.

"Was that your dad?" he asked as the kid pulled away from him and covered his cheek with his hand, leaning forward on his desk just to avoid Sanji. "Hey, was that your dad and your mom sitting with you? Your mom wears a lot of lipstick."

Annoyed when the kid continued to ignore him, Sanji sat back in his chair, and kicked his in response.

"I'm trying to be nice," he complained. "And you're being an ass."

The next Monday, the kid didn't show up for class. By Wednesday, he stumbled in late, ignoring the teacher's question as he passed by his desk and headed towards his, tossing his notebook atop of it before sliding into his chair with a low sigh. Sanji sipped at his Starbucks coffee and looked at the kid with a disgusted frown, annoyed at the bedhead that made his head lopsided and seeing that his cheek had turned color over the weekend, so it nearly matched the maroon of their uniform.

"You're a mess," he commented lightly, the teacher resuming his lecture. "Can't you take at least ten minutes to clean up before coming to class? Or do you just roll out of your cardboard box and expect that to be the end of things?"

At the end of class, the teacher called for Trafalgar Law to stay after, and Yonji jerked out of his chair with an astonished gasp as the other students hurriedly left the classroom, the kid in front of Sanji giving a reluctant growl in response.

" _English_!" Yonji exclaimed. "I was right! Hey, I was right! Sanji! Niji!"

"Shut up, who cares?" Niji complained, throwing his bag onto his desk to pack away his notebook and pencil.

"Hey," Sanji said to Law, once again jabbing him with his pen, "are you a homosexual? Because my brother likes you. Maybe you can clean up before you come to class and I don't have to look at the back of your ugly head, anymore. Do it for him."

"Shut up, Sanji!" Yonji bellowed, whipping out of his chair quickly. "No, I don't!"

"Shots fired!" Niji hollered just to be heard, and the three of them left the classroom, pushing and shoving each other as Law reluctantly approached the teacher that waited for him expectantly.

At the last block period of the day, Sanji was returning to his class after running an errand to the office when he caught sight of Law lingering near one of the trash cans near the stairway. Sanji quickly pressed up against one of the pillars near the lockers because he felt that the kid was too entranced by something in the trashcan. He watched with disgust as Law reached in and pulled out a tray of half eaten nachos, eating the rest of it as he then hurried back towards the block of rooms down the hall. Once he reached his classroom door, he tossed the cardboard box into another trash can, and exhaled heavily before he re-entered the classroom. Sanji just stood there with a disgusted expression because he'd never seen any kid do that, before.

That Friday morning, once Law took his seat in front of him, Sanji pulled a breakfast sandwich from his messenger bag, and passed it to him.

"So you don't have to eat out of trash cans," Sanji said when the kid turned to give him a bewildered look.

"Garbage Pail kid! We got us a Garbage Pail kid!" Niji hollered unnecessarily, more interested in his notebook than with Sanji, but he'd caught the action because Sanji and Yonji had been fighting over that sandwich most of the morning.

Law turned bright red, Sanji pushing the sandwich at him with an insistent shove, Yonji looking over with an exaggerated gasp.

" _You're eating out of trash cans_?" he exclaimed loudly, kids looking over to see who was doing exactly that. Mouth open, Yonji looked at their teacher, who tried in vain to ignore him. " _Teacher_! Teacher, we got us a homeless kid! This kid is _hungry_! You need to start a Gofund Me for him!"

Out of severe embarrassment, Law took the sandwich and threw it to the front of the class, near the large trash can in the corner, kids looking over at him with interested expressions because it was an unexpected gesture. Sanji's mouth fell open with insult as Law sat back down and crossed his arms tightly over his chest, still burning with color.

"Uh oh," Niji snickered. "Signal the meltdown in three, two, one…"

"You fucking asshole! I try and be fucking nice to you, and you do this? I didn't have to waste my time making an extra sandwich for your homeless ass! If you want to keep eating out of trash cans, go the fuck ahead! Fucking loser!" Sanji shouted, kicking his chair, Yonji twisting in his seat to look back with another exaggerated gasp, before leaving his seat and racing to the trash can, pulling out the wrapped sandwich.

"Ten second rule!" he shouted, unwrapping it and eating it, as the kids nearest him snickered.

At lunch, Ichiji watched with bewilderment as Sanji carried a half full trash can from the commons area through the parking lot to throw it at the 'English' kid sitting on the curb, the kid reacting with startled surprise as the rubber trashcan landed on the pavement, spilling out rubbish in front of him.

"Brought you lunch, bitch!" Sanji snapped at him, kicking the trashcan towards him, the English kid quickly standing up and striding off, burning with embarrassment. As Sanji returned to his brothers with a frown, Ichiji regarded him with a puzzled frown.

"What's that about?"

"He insulted my good graces."

"Sanji's got a stick up his ass because that extra sammich he made today got thrown into the trash by that kid," Niji said, rummaging through the backseat for his supplies.

"You made a sandwich for that kid?" Ichiji repeated with a bewildered expression.

"I saw him eating out of the trash, one day," Sanji said airily. "So I took it upon myself to take on a charity case, hoping it'll look good on my college applications."

"You can't just make these types of gestures without filming yourself doing it!" Niji exclaimed. "Otherwise, people don't know that you actually did it!"

"Don't bother with that sort of thing," Ichiji said to Sanji with disgust. "It's their own fault they're poor and stupid. Eating out of the trash can – he's only doing it for the attention. Don't give it to him, it's insulting on your part."

"Where's Yonji?" Sanji then asked, suddenly noticing that their younger brother hadn't arrived, yet.

"Talking to his coach about dropping weight."

"Fat ass."

"Oh, I also learned something interesting, today," Niji said, holding smoke for a few moments before exhaling. "That kid can't talk. He's got a speech impediment. Mihawk made him say his name before group work today, and he couldn't even say it right. Or should I say, ' _wight'_? HAH!"

"What a _loser_ ," Sanji sniffed, leaning against the Buick with a cigarette in hand. "No wonder he looks like a weirdo. He pisses me off."

"You guys give this guy way too much attention," Ichiji muttered. "If he's that despicable of a character, why bother?"

"I don't know! Fuck!"

"We are conflicted! Is it our hearts or our minds that make this decision for us?"

"Both of you are stupid."

That Monday, Sanji waited for Law to make his way to his chair, and once he tossed his notebook atop of the desktop, Sanji waited a few moments as he turned to sit, and Sanji kicked the desk to the left, the kid stumbling before he caught himself.

"My foot slipped," Sanji said as the kid looked at him with a start. But he dragged his desk back into place and sat down while Sanji glared at the back of his head, utterly disgusted with flattened black hair against the left side. "Don't you even care what you look like before you come to school? Most people put effort into themselves. This is a defining time in our lives, where we start making good impressions. Where the fuck are your manners to society?"

Law said nothing, focused on his desktop while the teacher called roll. When he called out Law's name, Yonji looked back and murdered his last name with a horrid British accent. Niji mimicked it, causing those sitting around them to shift in their seats with discomfort. Sanji leaned across his desk, jabbing him with his pen.

"Hey, say your name for us," he whispered. Then he snickered as he saw Law's ears reddening, shoulders stiffening up. Sanji kicked his seat before resettling in his, crossing his arms over his chest with a smug expression.


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

* * *

That Wednesday, when their teacher announced a partner project worth 45% of their grade – teams of two to share a debate to the close on an assigned hot topic – Sanji immediately made sure he was partnered with Law. To further torment him for embarrassing him, and because arguing with his brothers was a daily thing. Niji chose to partner with the girl in front of him, grinning in anticipation as she paled with horror, and Yonji complained noisily as the others in their class quickly partnered with each other to avoid being teamed with him. It was only to the misfortune of Zoro Roronoa, who had been napping briefly in the second row that he found himself partnered with Yonji for this project.

As the last few minutes of the class was spent giving contact information and choosing of topics, Sanji kicked Law's chair and told him, "Give me your phone so I can tell you what to write. This is an easy 'A', I don't want you fucking it up."

Seeing that the teacher wasn't giving them any choice in the matter, Law didn't answer him. He instead slunk lower in his chair and ignored Sanji's repeated kicks on his chair to get him to at least respond to him.

"You're not messing this up for me, asshole," Sanji said, using his pen to jab his arm with, leaving black ink on the material of his sweater. "We're going to talk about immigration, and you're going to do your part. I'll argue _for_ , you argue _against_. That should be good for you. That way, I can be the good guy, and you can be the bad guy, huh?"

Snickering, Sanji wrote down the assignment, then complained nosily as the assignment was announced to be due in a week. He gave Law's chair one last kick, and was up and out before Niji could finish threatening his partner for her side of the assignment to shared with him only before seven pm, and accompanied with nudes.

Later that day, on his way to his STEM class, Sanji spotted Law sitting in the library, flipping through some books, notebook open. He veered off his path and headed inside, shifting his messenger bag from one shoulder to the other before removing it completely and tossing it onto top of Law's book, startling him.

"Is that the assignment for class?" Sanji asked haughtily. "Give me your phone number, so you can send me updates on whatever shit you have."

Law frowned up at him, and shoved Sanji's bag to the floor, closing his notebook, rising up from his chair. "Don't have one," he muttered in passing, Sanji looking after him with an insulted expression.

"How could you not have a fucking phone? Obama gave one to every one of you bastards," Sanji exclaimed, retrieving his bag, but noticing that Law had left behind the books he'd been flipping through. He looked them over just to make sure they pertained to their assignment, but it was only young adult fiction; sci-fi topics, dystopian worlds, mental illness topics. He stalked after him. "Then give me your school email!"

"Don't have one."

"We all have one to keep track of our grades, dumbass! I just want to make sure you're doing this. You're not dragging my grade down because you're not keeping up with shit."

But Law was taller than him, and he walked faster, and Sanji had to get to his STEM class. He figured he'd bug him later, and changed direction, kicking aside a boy with a couple of sandwiches in hand, the boy slamming off a wall before he caught himself.

"You're such a jerk, Vinsmoke!" Sanji heard shouted after him, and he threw a smirk over his shoulder as he saw that the boy had dropped both sandwiches onto the floor, looking pissed.

"Fuck off, shitty Monkey!" he replied before rounding a corner, checking his phone for messages before old man Crocodile caught him on it, the Economics teacher monitoring the hallway with a grumpy expression.

After school, as Yonji wrapped up wrestling practice and Niji with his swim team, Sanji posted out near the front to watch for Law. There was something about rendering the other teen into a meek-filled mess that made him feel better; he hadn't picked on anyone in months. Usually, when the Vinsmokes chose a victim to torment, they made bets with each other on just how far they could push a kid's buttons until either warned off by school officials or they found someone else to reduce to a withering mess. It wasn't as if they were threatened by retaliation or catching trouble because of it; all of them were good hand to hand fighters, and their dad often pulled them off the hook in time, so none of them were bothered by consequences. It was for the thrill of it; for the power and control, for the _fun_ of it.

Having their peers and older teachers fear them made a dull day interesting.

He caught sight of Law leaving the campus with that black hoodie he wore the first week, hastily making his way down the sidewalk from the school with a large group of kids. The area was heavy with foot traffic and teenage drivers in older vehicles, and Sanji wasn't going to break a sweat chasing after him. So he put his resolve away for the next day, catching sight of Ichiji reading underneath some trees near the parking lot. He wandered over to his older brother, setting his bag down on the table with a grumble.

"How was school?" Ichiji asked him, not looking up from his book.

"Dull. We have a stupid assignment in first period, and I'm paired with the weird kid. Niji's trying to scam nudies from Koala, and Yonji's with that Roronoa kid."

Ichiji sighed with impatience, trning a page. "Sounds interesting."

"It's a debate project. One argues _for_ , one _against_ ," Sanji commented, lighting up a cigarette and exhaling around it.

"Isn't that Koala seeing that Sabo kid?"

"I don't know, I don't care."

"Niji shouldn't be starting fights with people he can't take on. It'll be embarrassing seeing him get his ass kicked by that kid if he continues to terrorize that girl. Those D boys are a huge nuisance. You guys are in on this by yourselves."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"And that Roronoa kid has a short temper, too. You'll have to remind Yonji of that. He's not going to be able to participate in wrestling this season if he gets into another fight. Tell him to take it out on his wrestling buddies."

"Got it."

"Don't torture this kid too bad, either. Working in the front office allowed me access to his student file. He's already on a thin thread, and there are now laws in effect to charge the bully if he happens to do something tremendously stupid. That won't look good on your college applications," Ichiji added, turning another page.

Sanji scowled. "What's his problem, then?"

"His file says he's been in and out of foster care with a short stint in juvie, holding him back a year. Currently under the guardianship of a family member; already had a teacher-parent conference regarding tardiness and refusal to participate in classroom activities, and this is only his second week. His guardian refuses any IEP classes to help with that dreadful speech impediment of his, having stated that he's 'fine'. I'm suspecting once he hits his eighteenth birthday in October, he's taking off as a legal adult. That's only a couple months away."

"So, _what_ , I have to take it easy on this kid?"

"I'm just saying, because he's already a 'special case', when something happens, _you'll_ be the one to blame," Ichiji stated, looking at him from over his book. "Which will piss me off for being associated with you, and even dad will have a hard time smoothing this one over when it reaches the media."

Sanji scowled. He finished his cigarette with a drawn out sigh, flicking the butt towards the parking lot. "Whatever," he mumbled, feeling let down.

"You need to be aware of these things," Ichiji warned him. "You're on the line with dad's patience, you know. You don't participate in sports, you don't do anything special. You really have nothing special about you to make dad proud. So getting good grades and continuing to focus getting into the college he wants is your only value at this time. You fuck up with this kid, you fuck up with us. Understand?"

"Yes," Sanji muttered bitterly. "You don't have to fucking remind me every goddamn chance you get."

"Just in case you don't happen to listen, I'll repeat it until you get it through your thick head. I'm not saying you should kiss that kid's ass, but you had better watch your behavior and make sure it doesn't make him do anything stupid. Already, you have the attention of others as causing shit with him, so be aware of that."

Sanji rolled his eyes, picking at his slacks. Being reprimanded by Ichiji always left him feeling smaller than he was, and being reminded of his worth left him feeling even worse. He was aware of their father's frustration with him, but the things Sanji was fond of doing wasn't the things Judge wanted him to do. Sanji had always dreamed of going to culinary school, but Judge thought he was better suited towards a career in economics, to follow after his brothers, all of whom were enthusiastic of going into the fields Judge had selected for them. He wasn't very sporty like they were, preferring to watch cooking shows and fiddling around in the kitchen, but Judge didn't think too much of that.

"It's too womanly," Judge had complained, coming home early from a business trip and catching Sanji in the middle of baking a large cake for his brothers to enjoy; all of whom slipped away to avoid being judged. "Look at your brothers, virile and dominate in their sports of choice, and here _you_ are, trying to take the place of your mother and sister."

"Someone has to," Sanji had muttered.

The divorce three years ago had taken the boys away from Sola, and she and Reiju had moved out of state just stay out of Judge's harassing reach. The boys visited them during school breaks, but if Sanji had a choice, he would've went with his mother and sister. The anger he felt in the unfairness of the divorce and the loss of his mother and sister was kept only by him; speaking of it would only invite mockery from the others.

By Friday, Sanji was still in a foul mood over Ichiji's warning, and when the class was encouraged to get into their pairs to work on their project, Sanji was stubbornly silent. Everyone had shifted their desks around to face each other, but Law hadn't bothered to move his, so Sanji kicked the kid out of the desk in front of his and turned it around to face Law's. He worked on his side of the debate while Law frowned down at his notebook, not bothering to open it to start.

After a half hour, Sanji looked at him with a glare, hearing Yonji's obnoxious laughter from somewhere near the front of the class. Since Ichiji had chastised Niji as well, Niji himself was scowling in his seat, writing furiously while Koala worked on hers with a downcast face.

"Show me what you have, so far," Sanji demanded, twisting his paper around so that Law could read his. When Law didn't move, Sanji snatched his notebook and opened it – there were a few perforations clinging to the spiral wiring, but nothing else. He held it up with exasperation. "Are you even working on it? We have a fucking week to get this done! I already told you, if you fuck up my grade, I'm going to be pissed!"

Sanji dropped it onto the floor and kicked it back to him, snatching his paper from Law's desk and exhaling heavily. One of the students sitting nearby cautiously picked up Law's notebook and gave it back with a sheepish cringe, but Law didn't react. He was slouched low in his chair with his longer legs to the side, arms crossed stubbornly.

Sanji glared at him, rapidly tapping his pen against his desktop. Now that he was really looking at him, the kid didn't look that much like a kid, at all. He already had the exhausted look of an older man, complete with intense frown lines, dark eyebags, and facial hair. He wore two hoop earrings in each ear, the jewelry dainty, faded gold; hugging tightly onto delicate lobes. That bruise from last week had faded, leaving it a vaguely yellow splotch, but he sported a band-aid on his neck – Sanji presumed it was from shaving. Wearing the uniform sweater against the school's ferocious air conditioning system, it swam over his thin frame, sleeves long enough to pull over the tops of his hands. He had such dainty, feminine looking hands; with long, thin fingers, slightly long nails, a larger band-aid visible on his palm.

It gave weight to Niji's thought that he was from a family of drag-queens – maybe it was a hobby, or something.

But seeing that he just didn't care about the assignment enraged Sanji. He needed this grade to have a rank acceptable of Judge's expectations, and he wasn't going to let this shithead ruin it for him.

"I'll just do it my fuckin' self," he snapped at him, gathering his things to him. "You might not care about your fucking future, but I care about mine. I need this grade. Fuck off. _Fuck you_."

Sanji then abandoned his borrowed desk and returned to his, kicking Law's chair as anger swarmed his thoughts. He went back to work on his paper, finishing his notes with tense writing, then starting work on an argument against his topic. Law just continued to sit there, and as seconds ticked by, Sanji's stress continued to rise.

By the time the bell rang, he was red-faced and furious, and he stuffed all of his things into his bag and stomped off as everyone was moving their desks back into place, ignoring Niji's call behind him. Sanji stomped down the hall, shoving hapless kids out of his way until he made it outside to inhale deeply. As his heart rate returned to normal, he realized how stupid it was to ignite so furiously for something he could just fix with the teacher at the end of the grading period – Sanji was counting on Ichiji to be correct with Law leaving the school as soon as he turned eighteen. Kids did it all the time – if Sanji just had Judge talk to the teacher regarding this large percentage, then his grades would be fine.

He assured himself of this and exhaled slowly once again, putting himself back together. Then he returned to the halls with his usual indifferent expression and found Yonji yelling at Zoro near the lockers, the green-haired kid yelling back, their peers watching with interest. Sanji grabbed his younger brother and yanked him along with him, much to the disappointment of those waiting for a fight.

"You won't get to wrestle at this rate, idiot," Sanji snapped at Yonji, who put himself together with a huff. "Then you'll waste all that time cutting weight for nothing."

"I am living a little more on edge," Yonji agreed with a heavy sigh of his own. "This shit is tough, man. I'm snappier than usual."

"Take it out on your teammates, dumbass, not on these guys."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I was thinking of moving up to a higher weight class."

"At this rate, you might as well," Sanji commented, looking up at his brother with a disgusted frown. "Fuck you for being so tall."

"What? I can't hear you from all the way down there," Yonji snickered, waving at Niji as Niji slammed his locker closed.

"You two done throwing your bitch fits?" Niji asked. "So embarrassing to see my two wombmates fighting with their partners in class."

"I see what you did there!"

"Fuck, I'm clever!"

The following Monday, they were allowed to work on their topics once more, but Sanji didn't bother with his partner. He'd already finished Law's side of the debate and was instead working on his Trig packet for tomorrow's class, tapping away on his calculator to get the answers he needed. He absolutely did not expect Law to turn in his seat and pass over a sheet of notebook paper with neat print, detailing his side of the debate.

Sanji glared at him, then at the paper, looking it over. He was surprised to find that it was a pretty acceptable argument against his, which briefly triggered an expression of disgust on his face. He looked at Law to say something, but the kid had turned back around in his chair and slouched low to avoid saying anything. Sanji opened his mouth to share his thoughts when his eyes touched on Law's left ear, seeing it covered with a white bandage that covered the lobe. It was unusual to see it when he'd just seen it fine last week; but he remembered that small show at the restaurant a couple of weeks ago, and he wondered if that was a possibility.

Previous train of thought wrecking at the station, Sanji realized he had nothing to say. But he took that piece of paper and tucked it into his notebook to look over for later, thinking he would have to change his paper to stand up to the standard just now set in front of him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: See below.**

 **3**

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After school, Law walked straight home. Located just a few blocks from Grandline, it was a lovely two story house with a neatly maintained garden, a porch swing and a fluffy Akita named Sugar. He reached out and patted the barking dog atop of the head before digging a key from his pocket and unlocking the three locks set a foot apart above and below the knob, then pushed himself through the thin opening available so Sugar wouldn't follow him. It was a short battle as Sugar pushed and lurched against him to try and get through, but he managed to shut and lock all three once more before looking around himself.

Rosinante was seated in the old rocking chair in front of the television, Law wincing slightly as he saw that Doflamingo had left him with the Nickelodeon channel on for the entire day. While the house was beautiful on the outside, the furniture inside consisted of lawn furniture, milk crates, friends' recycled junk. Because neither male could be home during the day, the rocking chair was a 'jail' for Rosinante. It moved too much for him to get up safely from, so he ended up in it for most of the day; as a result, Law had to hurry home right after school to clean up any bathroom accidents he'd had, change him into fresh clothes, and argue with him over wearing the adult diapers Doflamingo insisted on. But even if his mind was deteriorating, Rosinante still had some pride and stubbornness in him; he would remove the diaper himself, throwing it somewhere nearby, dirty or clean.

Law set his notebook aside on a rickety side table, then reached to pull the man to his feet. Rosinante had been diagnosed with a form of dementia very rare for his age, and it was up to Law to take care of him. As long as he was living in Doflamingo's house, he had to be responsible for these things; payment for living with the man's generosity for taking him in.

The man had taken in foster children before Law came around, but once his younger brother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, he hadn't since then. Because Law was nearing legal age, making him a difficult candidate for others to take in, he was grateful that Doflamingo had given him a chance. Working as a corrections officer for a nearby high security prison, Doflamingo was a twisted sort of man that Law both feared and respected. Doflamingo took care of his brother with as much care and consideration as possible; but with limited funds and burning anger for their living situation, Doflamingo tended to be unapologetic and impulsive towards Law; Law only responded in defense, used to aggression from other males that either thought of him as easy prey or a threat. But both of them cooperated easily when it came to Rosinante, their only bond forged through him.

The brothers had come from a rich family, but something had happened in their lives where Doflamingo ended up taking care of his brother from a young age, and took advantage of the foster care system to use kids to take care of his brother. It had been easier to do when Rosinante had been in his early stages of mind decomposition, but it had grown difficult to keep teenage children after that. Law had been the only one to stay.

Taking care of the man was an extremely difficult duty, but now Law couldn't imagine leaving him when he required so much attention. While Rosinante's moods and behavior shifted at a flutter of a heartbeat, there were times where he was caring and gentle, and gave Law what he'd been searching for.

Years ago, Law had lost his little sister to a brain tumor, and in the breakdown, his parents had crumbled under the difficulty of that loss. Their grief had turned unbearable after watching their little girl die after prolonged treatment, and their father had turned angry, and their mother became absent. They grew more involved in their work and came home less, so when Law started failing his classes, acting out as a result of grief and puberty, the household had become a constant war zone. He started running away just to find some peace. He was removed from their home when his father grew violent, and the resulting move from foster home to foster home turned Law to the streets to escape. A year and a half spent in juvie after helping a group of teens stage a home invasion on an elderly couple that resulted in a death convinced him he wasn't worth saving. His relationships with those friends crumbled under the system, and it became difficult getting close to anyone because of the mockery that occurred whenever he spoke. When Doflamingo took him in, Rosinante was confused with who he was, and acted out aggressively. Law ran away the first week, but Doflamingo's friend, Vergo, found him and returned him. Because Doflamingo needed a check from the state, he 'convinced' Law to stay, and in that time, Rosinante grew on him. He felt that being around the man, who needed care at all times, made him feel wanted.

He couldn't imagine a future for himself after being held back a year as a freshman; he'd skipped a grade in middle school before Lamie passed away, but now he stopped trying at school. He just didn't care; he had considered the possibility that he'd be Rosinante's caretaker for the rest of his life, with Doflamingo supplying him with a roof over his head and some food to eat. But the man himself was having a difficult time with money, and it was only a matter of time when Law would have to drop out of school altogether to find a job that could help them out.

If Doflamingo did decide to kick him out, then Law wasn't sure how he was going to handle that. He could survive on the streets, but leaving Rosinante was going to be difficult. Another pressing matter on his plate was that his parents had begun trying to reach out to reconnect with him. But after living through so much within the span of these past few years, Law didn't feel he could go back to them. He was too damaged and too broken, not the boy they'd known when he was removed. He still carried anger from his sister's passing and the unfair aftermath, and while the home invasion hadn't been his plan to begin with, only driving the getaway car, knowing someone had died because of it was enough to convince him that his parents wouldn't want him back after that. Doflamingo didn't like it either, and fought the social worker tooth and nail to keep those people away from Law, and Law let him.

These were all the things that rich, spoiled kids like the Vinsmoke siblings would never understand.

After a brief argument about using the wheelchair, Law helped Rosinante to the bathroom down the hall, cleaned him up, and dressed him in fresh, clean clothing. He started his laundry and threw in some of his own clothes; since Rosinante demanded so much care, he shared a room with him, using a sleeping bag to sleep near Rosinante's bed. Doflamingo had given him his own room with a twin bed, but Law just felt better sleeping closer to Rosinante, able to tend to him better when he needed it.

After he had Rosinante seated in the kitchen, Law pulled the wheelchair close in case they needed it – Rosinante's response was to get up and kick it, but he ended up falling against the table, causing another exasperated response from Law as he helped him up, shoving the wheel chair back into the living room as Rosinante continued to throw a fit.

Rosinante then talked lightly about what activities Sugar had been up to in the yard, then talked about the Bubble Guppies and how Spongebob continued to remain optimistic despite being a sponge. Law listened and replied to his questions as he cautiously lit a cigarette for Rosinante, and made the man a late lunch. While Rosinante couldn't complete the motions of smoking a cigarette, he just wanted the taste and feel of having one. Anytime he breathed in the smoke, he fell into intense coughing fits. When the cigarette was finished, Law removed the butt from his mouth, poured him some juice and placed the plate in front of him. Then he sat next to the man while he ate, to make sure he didn't choke; Rosinante's mobility was very limited, and he had a hard time with basic actions; that was his disease's condition.

He told Rosinante about what the kids were up to at school, about his homework, about what he ate for lunch; it was easy to convince the man that he was a likeable person when he only talked of the others as if they were friends. Seeing Rosinante's delighted expression upon Law repeating a funny story he'd overheard, hearing his praises for finding good friends and being a good person made him feel as if he had a normal life.

He did not talk about how difficult it was sitting in a classroom full of kids he was certain he'd never see again, how he was mocked for screwing up his own name, that he ate food he found in a trash can; how he went through unlocked lockers in the gym to steal money from wallets left in there. That cash he kept hidden from Doflamingo, used for the things that he absolutely needed, and for Rosinante's needs. While Doflamingo paid for their bills and Rosinante's medication and doctor visits, using every resource he had, the end result was that they were barely making it; and if Law was going to be kicked out, at least he'd have some cash to make it.

After Rosinante was finished eating, Law wiped his nose, then cleaned his face, and put the plate away. They went out to the backyard so they could watch Sugar chase birds and come to them for affection. They walked about, talking and enjoying each other's company, but when Rosinante slipped into one of his spacey moods to stare at the porch from the swing, Law used that to take a nap, rigidly sitting upright with his head down, leg touching the man's, so he could wake up if he felt him move.

When Doflamingo came home, there wasn't anything left to eat. He mocked Law loudly as Law explained what he used to make for Rosinante's lunch. Both of them snapped at each other until Doffy found the dirty diaper Rosinante had ripped off himself earlier that day, something Law had yet to clean up after being at Rosinante's side since he'd come home. After a shouting match that had Doffy shoving Law into the fridge out of frustration, he took a shower and came back to visit with his brother over their favorite shows. Law used that time to complete a couple of papers due for class. Doflamingo then left the house to go eat out with friends.

When it came close to bedtime, Law followed the routine necessary to get Rosinante ready for bed. Night time was difficult for them both, as Rosinante had a hard time sleeping; he often woke up multiple times, either screaming out of rage or just to hear the noise; trying to wake up at one in the morning to go cook them breakfast, or hallucinating that there were other people in the house. Sometimes, Law woke himself up to make sure the man hadn't choked on his own tongue, or was still breathing; Rosinante's motor functions were slowly shutting down, and the possibility that he'd leave them in his sleep was a high one.

The weekend passed in normal fashion; he continued to care for Rosinante while Doflamingo managed to come home with a couple of bags given to him by friends and the food bank. It was insulting for him; _they'd lived in a mansion, had millions_ , he often ranted; they never had anything to want, and now they were barely scraping by with donations from friends and state provided checks. Doflamingo was angry, but it was an understandable anger; Law could deal with it.

By the time six a.m. Monday morning came around, Law pulled Rosinante out of bed. But this was one of Rosinante's bad days, because he fought Law during his bath, slapping and snapping at him while he resisted every action, Law calmly responding in his usual spiel in that he was only there to help him. During breakfast, Rosinante complained about his food and his physical discomforts, refusing medication, stabbing cigarettes out on the table with frustration. By the time Law was able to give himself any attention, it was already twenty minutes after the first bell had rung. Seeing that Doflamingo had already left for work, Law could only make sure that Rosinante's favorite channel was on, fed Sugar, then hurried off to school.

His cheek felt hot and swollen from where one of Rosinante's hits had landed, and he rubbed at it self-consciously as he hurried to his first period class. When he got there, he ignored the looks of his classmates and the teacher's demand for him to return to the front office for a late slip, so he took advantage of that walk to skim over the trash cans, looking for something edible. By the time he returned to the class, it was halfway over, and he felt exhausted. He sat down and stared at his notebook, listening to the lecture. Their debate presentation would happen Wednesday, and he felt apprehensive with that. It meant he had to speak up in front of everyone, and he dreaded doing it. He had left all his schoolbooks in his locker in his haste to make it to class, so when it came time to open one up, he didn't bother pairing with another person. He felt self-conscious over his unbrushed teeth and lack of a shower, so getting close to anyone wasn't comfortable for him.

Sanji jabbed at him with his pen and made demands that sounded utterly unreasonable. Law ignored him, because he at least did his side of the debate and gave that paper to him, so he refused to give him any more attention.

They ended up taking a test, and he realized that he must've lost his pen from the spiral binding of his notebook; he didn't bother asking to borrow anyone's. Exasperated with him, the teacher held him back during break, and Law was able to complete his test with the pen the man gave him. Grading the paper while lecturing him on punctuality, the man was surprised that all his answers were correct. Law left the classroom more tired than before, but at least he had a pen. He walked to his next class as the bell signaling break ended, and was in his seat as the others filtered in. He thought about how Rosinante spoke of their family before Doflamingo killed their father – Law wasn't sure if this was a true fact, considering that Rosinante was often confused – and ended up thinking about his own family.

It felt if his parents had blamed him for Lamie's death; they latched on him after the funeral, then grew frustrated when he wasn't to their standards. After Lamie had died, she had been rendered perfect; she was the happiest kid, the smartest, so full of potential. She was given a godly status, he felt, a status that he felt he couldn't measure up, to. He didn't understand why; he had been a very studious boy, focused on his goals, skipping a grade, always with his chores done before they were asked of him. But his parents started nitpicking at him, and his speech grew worse as his own grief and stress rendered him tongue tied. He reminded them plenty of times that he was grieving, too, but then those shouts turned into frustration because he couldn't get the words out, properly.

It felt that, after all the hard parts were over, they were inviting themselves back in, and it didn't seem fair. Despite knowing Doflamingo's true intentions for the constant pressure against the pair, Law was grateful for the man for being a wall between his parents and him.

By the time that class ended, he was starving, but the cafeteria scene was too much for him, so he wandered out to the parking lot, digging out Rosinante's cigarettes from his pocket and settling on a comfortable spot underneath a tree. He stared off into space and thought about nothing. The rest of the day continued on in this fashion, but he was at least fifteen dollars richer after rifling through the gym lockers during last period. He used that money to buy more cigarettes and some milk, then returned home. The rest of the evening was spent wrestling with Rosinante to eat, to stop stabbing the table with his fork, and he wound up with a fresh injury to his forearm. When he finally ended the day with Rosinante tucked in bed, he cleaned the wound and applied a fresh bandage, and fell asleep on his sleeping bag without changing out of his clothes. The next day was a little easier, but he could feel himself coming unraveled.

When Wednesday morning came, he gave Rosinante a few minutes to sleep – he took a shower and changed into fresh clothes, then started laundry.

Doflamingo complained about the noise as he woke up ahead of his alarm, and the pair of them snapped at each other as Law roused Rosinante from sleep. Doflamingo decided that Law wasn't doing it right, and took over, showing Law how Rosinante should be cared for, and they argued with each other while Rosinante looked puzzled. When Doflamingo made it to the kitchen to cook his brother breakfast, he was angry that there wasn't much left, and snapped at Law for eating it all. Law snapped back in defense, fed the dog, and went to school with Doflamingo yelling after him. By the time he made it to school, it was five minutes after the bell, and he was still touchy.

So when Sanji started jabbing at him with his pen and demanding an unreasonable rewrite of his topic before they could present to the class their project, Law snapped. He stood up from his desk as the blond sneered at him, and he lunged across their desks to punch the smirking boy across the face, causing their classmates to react with startled shouts. Sanji pushed at him to get out from the desk to fight back, but because Law was taller, he simply pinned him to his desk and kept punching until one of Sanji's brothers yanked him back. In the midst of this noise, the teacher shouted for security, hurrying in to yank the sibling away from Law while the other one laughed at all three of them for fighting like girls.

An hour later, Law was sitting in the counselor's office in stubborn silence as she pressed for an explanation for the act. Outside the door, he could hear the office workers shuffling about, and occasionally Sanji's voice would catch as he complained to his other brother over what had happened. Law knew he was the aggressor in this act, and Sanji's family had influence, so he didn't see the point in explaining himself. The principal lectured him on fighting at school, for his bad punctuality, at the fact that he had just started the school year, and was already having problems. Because Doflamingo did not talk about their living situation, none of them were aware of the pressures he had there. All Law was worried about was being taken away from Doflamingo and Rosinante for another stint in juvie until he was of age.

The counselor then tried to reach Doflamingo, but being that he was at work, the operator promised to relay the message to him, seeing that it wasn't a pressing emergency. Frustrated, the woman made a call to Law's social worker.

They wouldn't release him until they were able to reach Doflamingo, so he was directed to sit outside, exchanging seats with Sanji. Sanji glared murderously at him while holding an ice pack to his cheek, something he threw away before entering the counseling office. His brother – Law wasn't sure which one, they all looked the same to him – was frowning at Law, but it wasn't a confrontational stance he was using. While Sanji griped and complained over what had happened with that loud voice of his, Law's social worker dropped by, and Law felt himself gripped with anxiety over what he would say.

"Let's go for a walk," Smoker said, frowning at him. Once outside, Smoker sat down on a bench seat, and Law remained standing, too wound up to sit. "You're not looking good, kid. What the hell is going on with you?"

Because Smoker had worked with him for years, Law could talk some things with him. So he said, "Been busy."

"You look like shit. Are you shooting up? Running that miracle diet?"

" _No_."

"You're not hooking it up to these perverts around here, are you?"

"Jesus, no!"

"Why are you causing so much trouble?" Smoker then asked, lighting up despite the No Smoking sign nearby. "You just started here."

Law shrugged. He then took the cigarette that Smoker offered him, lit it, and took a needed inhale of expensive tobacco. "Kids are stupid," he said, exhaling fragrant smoke.

"Why didn't Doflamingo enroll you into a speech therapy class?"

"Because they're full, and if I needed it, then I couldn't go here. I would have to attend another school outside the variance zone. I don't want to be that far away from Rosinante."

Smoker scowled. "He's not your fucking responsibility."

"He needs me."

" _Goddamn_ it," Smoker muttered bitterly, casting ashes aside. "You're a fuckin' _kid_ that needs an adult, it's not the other way around! Don't give me that shit – "

"He's doing worse!"

"I understand that you care for that man, but that doesn't make this shit any better! Especially if you're failing your fucking classes – I get what you're doing, you're only doing this because your birthday's comin' up," Smoker said. His frustration was evident as he looked away, shaking his head. "By the time the paperwork I need comes back to me, you'd take off."

"That's right. So it's pointless trying to take me away, right now. This place doesn't matter – "

"You don't think that, in his right mind, Rosinante would want this sort of life for you? Don't you think he'd want you to succeed? He'd want you to go places, kid, not get yourself stuck in one. That's what he'd want for you."

Stubbornly, Law crossed his arms over his chest, glowering at his shoes as he clenched that cigarette between his teeth. Smoker looked him over once again.

"You fightin' the world, again?" he asked, indicating his ear. "What's this?"

"Rosinante's fingers caught in my earrings when I was helping him out of the tub."

"And _that_?"

"I fell on a fork."

" _Bullshit_."

"That's my story."

"And this one? What's going on with this one?" Smoker asked, indicating the school.

"Unreasonable demands. He's a rich fuck that gets away with everything."

"I'm aware of it. I know who their father is. I'd be careful when it comes to him, they're rotten," Smoker continued, dashing ashes to the side. "Just like their father. What you want to do, kid? You want to spend these next two months with Rosinante, or juvie, where your sentence could be extended for the hell of it because of that guy?"

"Rosinante."

"Oh, so he's worth not sleeping, eating?"

"He needs a lot of care…"

" _Then get back into that school and fuckin' try_!" Smoker bellowed at him, Law jerking back with a start. "You pick up a fucking pencil and get that shit done, stop acting like it doesn't matter, because it does! You think you can get a job without a high school degree? You're fucking wrong! There aren't any jobs for kids like you that think you don't need one – there's only a few places that'll allow you to make enough money to support that man, and it ain't nothing pleasant! You want to be involved in that man's life, you convince Doflamingo that you're useful! Get that fucking degree, get a job! He'll agree to that, that fucking bastard. This shit you're doing right here isn't doing anything for you."

Chastised, Law stared down at the sidewalk, cigarette nearly gone. Smoker did make sense, and he felt physically ill at realizing his position.

"You're a smart fucking kid, don't let it go to waste. And I'll talk to that guy about taking over more of these duties, because you need time to focus on yourself, too," Smoke decided, cigarette clenched between his teeth. "All these F's you have need to go somewhere, being that it's still the beginning of the school year. Just make them passable, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Get that degree so you can get that job. Then we talk about college – "

Law snorted, finishing the cigarette. "Like that's possible."

"Shut up, _anything's_ possible! Throw that away, let's go back inside. I'm sure I can talk to these guys since Doflamingo seems to be MIA," Smoker said, tossing his cigarette butt onto the lawn. Law followed him inside, where the counselor had been intending on looking for them, motioning them to follow her into her office.

When they crowded inside, Sanji was sitting there with a purplish-red face, fists tight at his thighs. He stood from the chair, glaring with so much venom that it didn't make sense when he struggled to say to Law, "I apologize. This was _all my fault_. It was only self-defense from you, I started it in the first place."

Surprised at the turn around, Law just stared at him. Smoker crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the flustered counselor and the principal that wore an awkward expression, truly surprised.

"Then he won't be in trouble?" Smoker asked as he indicated Law, wanting to make sure things were all right before he left.

"Uh," the principal stammered, looking suddenly uncomfortable when Sanji pinned him with a glower, " _no_. No, uh…I guess if you two can apologize to each other, work it out, we'll let it go."

Smoker knew how the process went; he looked at Sanji with a considering expression. Fights nowadays required suspensions, and he knew they were going to lay one on Law, the counselor explaining over the phone that they needed to go over this with Doflamingo in order to have it in effect. For the Vinsmoke to get away with it, with just an apology from the kid, didn't seem fair. But it worked for Law.

He used an elbow to prod Law to speak. With a glower of his own, Law muttered, "I apologize, as well."

"Then you'll talk to Mr Hansen about letting us complete the debate on Friday?" Sanji demanded of the principal. "Because that grade is forty-five percent of our average. It's complete, we only have to present it."

"I'll talk to him," the principal said with a suffering expression.

"If we're done here, I need to go."

At the dismissal, Smoker frowned. He supposed it was to the Vinsmoke's own gain to have this turned in his favor, but he still had to consider that it benefitted Law as well. "You'll call Mr Donquixote and clear up the misunderstanding?" he asked of the counselor, who nodded. "Well, it appears things worked out, then. Excuse us."

"Don't let your guard down," Smoker then told Law, seeing that the eldest Vinsmoke was gone from the front office. It was lunch time, so he supposed they'd all gone out to eat. "But use this for your advantage. You have a second chance, _use_ it."

Law nodded, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He looked pretty baffled at the turn of events, unsure of how to accept that it had happened. Smoker patted his shoulder. "Come out to the car, I got lunch."

* * *

 **Dedicated Fan: it is quite a change, eh? I just…really wanted to see him on the other side of things, for once. It was a dream – literally, actually – and it's working out nicely. These two can teach each other a few things!**

 **Ommm: Yes, this will be a chapter by chapter thing, and since each chapter is pretty short, it works for me :D Sanji won't change magically overnight, but he'll definitely do some growing up!**

 **Janshal: :D I do too!**

 **Minnyfox: Yes, his life is pretty tough, as detailed in this chapter. And it's difficult writing such a change in personalities, but as long as they redeem some of their canon qualities (LOL WHERE?), then I'm sure it's okay! Snag's reasoning for the sandwich was to humiliate Law in front of everyone; but insult happened because Law rejected his food, a very personal offense for him! I had a bad day at work so writing this helped me get over the drama haha**


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

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That evening, Sanji was in the middle of slicing up onions for the hamburger cooking in a large frying pan next to him, a display of chopped ingredients spread out in front of him as he used the entire marble counter to work. After dropping an array of spices into the meat, he worked the knife fiercely into the onion, occasionally nicking his finger and cursing out loud, tossing the knife aside to treat it. Ahead of him in the living room, Niji and Yonji were playing the latest Battlefield, and Ichiji was reading a book, all of their voices loud and ringing in the high ceilings of the house. Ichiji would occasionally growl at all of them for making such noise; it didn't make sense that he was in the middle of it all, demanding quiet, when he could have been in his room or the nearby den.

Judge walked in without warning, having parked his car in front instead of the garage, using the side door to enter. At the sight of him, Ichiji quickly hopped up from the chair and scurried off before he could be seen, alerting the other two to their father's presence, both of whom quickly turned the game off and scrambled from the living room noisily, trying to avoid being caught.

Judge looked at Sanji, who froze momentarily at the sight of him, in the middle of wrapping a band-aid around his finger.

"What are you doing?" Judge asked, looking at the messy kitchen with a critical eye, frowning at the cookbook propped open against the bar top of the counter.

"They were hungry," Sanji answered hastily, setting his knife aside. "And we weren't sure when you were coming home, so I thought – "

"We talked about this sort of thing," Judge reminded him sternly, holding his briefcase tightly. "It was agreed upon that you wouldn't be doing this, anymore."

"Dad – "

"I had plans on taking us out to dinner. I have reservations in twenty minutes."

" _Dad_ \- !"

"Clean it up. Throw it away," Judge ordered, Sanji looking at him with horror.

"This is a lot of food! It won't take that long for the meat to cook, I'll just put it away for later - !"

" _Throw it away_! I expressively told you that this sort of thing was not allowed! I don't want you doing this! It's not your fucking job to take the part of a woman's role! Let this be a lesson, for next time. We're out of vegetables and meat for next time because of you."

"That's not fair!"

Before Sanji could continue arguing, Niji hurried in, saying, "Dad, dad, guess what? Sanji got his ass kicked today! Some kid knocked him around in first period, just totally snapped on him. Then guess what? _He_ apologized to the kid! So they didn't get in trouble!"

Judge looked confused. "What?"

"Yeah, English totally knocked the shit out of Sanji!" Yonji laughed, venturing out from the den, now that they wouldn't catch shit for being caught playing games rather than finishing up their homework. "Just totally stood up and bam! Bam! Bam! Niji had to save his dumb ass because his head was knocking against that desk like a goddamn tetherball!"

Judge looked at Sanji, who regarded his brothers with a furious scowl, then looked at Judge. Judge noticed that Sanji was wearing some welts around his left eye, on his cheek, but the story was confusing for him.

"What happened?"

"That English kid – " Sanji started to explain when Ichiji cut in with, "He's not actually British or anything, dad, that's just Yonji's stupid nickname for him, by the way."

"Anyway, he just _snapped_ all of a sudden, and I couldn't – I couldn't get out of my desk to fight back, he's taller, and it happened so fast -!" Sanji tried explaining but Judge's confused frown turned into a downcast look of disapproval, so he clammed up, setting the knife aside to hold onto the counter with both hands.

"So, some kid blasted you while you were seated, and you couldn't fight back?" Judge asked. "There's no excuse if he were taller, there's no excuse if you couldn't return the gesture. Perhaps if you'd followed Ichiji's path, or even Niji's, you'd have the ability to defend yourself. Thank you for stepping in, Niji, _once again_. What was the reasoning behind him 'snapping'? What were you doing to him?"

"We got this assignment in class, where we gotta partner up with each other, and present a debate," Niji said quickly. "English can't English good, so I bet he freaked out because his and Sanji's turn was coming up."

"Sounds like riff-raff to me."

"This kid eats out of trash cans, Sanji said, so Sanji tried to feed him," Yonji interjected.

Judge looked at Sanji again, who looked wordless for a moment before he sputtered with, "It was a goddamn sandwich – Yonji ate it anyway!"

"You made someone outside of the family something to eat?" Judge asked incredulously. "Are we a soup kitchen, now? Not only are we throwing away perfectly acceptable food because I told you not to do something, you're giving _our_ food away to people that have their own means of feeding themselves? It doesn't matter if he found food in trashcans, that's his prerogative to do so. You are not supposed to take it upon yourself to waste time and effort on somebody that will not benefit you to your future. Is this understood?"

"…Yes," Sanji muttered bitterly, red-faced as he started gathering all his ingredients to him, intending on saving what he could for another day.

"Throw it away!" Judge snapped at him, before turning to head for his study.

"Dad, that's food we need," Ichiji said with concern. "Yonji eats us out of house and home – "

"I do not!"

Judge frowned at Ichiji. "I warned him previously that if he were to continue to engage into an activity that I do not approve of, that this would happen. What would it look like if I did not follow up on my word? Toss it. We're going out to eat."

"What a waste," Niji said with a sigh, kicking the trashcan over to Sanji as he stared incredulously after Judge. "Thanks to Sanji, we lost food, tonight…"

"I was making all of this for you!" Sanji shouted impatiently at him, reluctant to follow through when the vegetables he'd chopped were still useable. Defying Judge's order, he put what he could into Tupperware, checked on the meat, and began to load the dishwasher with the dishes he'd used.

"We didn't ask you, to," Niji pointed out.

"All we said was that we were hungry," Ichiji added. "We didn't ask you to do anything about it. You took it upon yourself to do this."

"All _I_ said was that I could eat," Yonji said with a shrug. "I didn't think you were going to go all Simon Cowell on us."

"That's not right…he's on American Idol, a singing competition."

" _I don't know_ , I don't watch that show, Ichiji."

"I did it because all of you asked me to!" Sanji shouted at him.

"We're right here in front of you!" Yonji bellowed in exasperation.

"There's no need to yell at us!" Niji shouted. " _Dad_! Sanji's yelling at us for no reason!"

"Snitches get stitches," Sanji hissed at him, kicking him into the counter. Niji retaliated by throwing a full Tupperware container at him, Sanji catching it and setting it aside.

"Knock it off, you two," Ichiji demanded. "Dad sounds like he's in a bad mood already. Sanji pissed him off, and he hasn't been inside for more than two minutes."

" _Sanji_!" Yonji bellowed at him.

"Sanji, knock it off, goddamn it!" Judge roared from his study.

Sanji threw the Tupperware container at Yonji, catching him upside the head. The lid fell off, and food landed over Niji. Ichiji laughed because it was a spectacular display of a double hit, Niji's face reddening as he lurched at Sanji. The two scuffled in the kitchen, knocking over the trashcan and knocking food from the counter, making a mess. Ichiji sighed heavily and walked away, Yonji bending and picking up the food from the floor, tossing it near the trashcan.

When Judge walked back in to see what the noise was about, he reddened with rising anger at the mess caused by the boys, and bellowed, "All of you, except for Sanji, get the fuck out of the kitchen! Sanji, clean this shit up! All of you better be out in that car in five fucking minutes!"

"Yeesh, dad, _okay_ , jeez," Yonji muttered, cringing before slipping under the swat Judge threw at him. When Niji scurried off, Judge kicked him in the back then looked at Sanji, who sullenly began to clean. When Judge walked off towards the stairway to get changed, Ichiji returned to stand on the other side of the counter as Sanji reluctantly turned the stove off, frowning at the nearly cooked hamburger. Under his brother's watchful eye, Sanji tossed it into the trashcan, and followed through with the rest. Then wiped and swept up the mess caused by the trashcan falling in the first place.

"So, you 'apologized' to the kid?" Ichiji asked curiously. "What's that about?"

Gritting his teeth, Sanji answered, "I apologized because if I didn't, I would lose that grade. And I know that Mr Hansen won't do shit if I said I caused the problem, because he's scared of Dad after that conference he had with him over Yonji! If I can get that kid to do the debate, then I get my grade."

Ichiji cocked an eyebrow. "Or Mr Hansen would just give you the grade because that kid started it."

"YOU TOLD ME TO BE NICE TO HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE."

"So, _you_ caused the problem," Ichiji stated.

Sanji stubbornly held his jaw, throwing the sponge aside. "I read his side of the debate. It's better than mine. I wanted him to rewrite it."

Ichiji frowned at him.

Sanji continued with, "Besides, he hates talking, anyway! There's no way he can spit out his side in the first place, so I figured if I did this, then he'd be – he'd have a little more confidence to present his side, and we can get that grade!"

"What a stupid way of going about it!" Ichiji commented, unable to see his point.

"You might think so, but I just feel that I finally have a new standard I need to reach and surpass."

"You thought all this over a single assignment?"

"When I went back to class to talk to Mr Hansen about the grade I have now, I overheard him and Mr Hansen talking during break. He didn't even need a book, or even need to write down notes to pass a test we had – he passed it flawlessly, straight A plus. Mr Hansen was blown away. That kid is a genius, or has some sort of photographic memory thing going on…"

" _Ah_ ," Ichiji said with an understanding expression. "I see where you're coming from. You're on one of your useless missions to prove yourself better, again."

Sanji reddened. "No! If I can set the standard for myself by allowing for competition from someone worthy, then how will I know if I'm good enough for the future that father wants?"

" _I_ should be your standard. My GPA is rather exceptional."

"Shut up, Ichiji, you're on a different level," Sanji muttered in disgust.

"LET'S GO!" Judge bellowed at them impatiently, Niji and Yonji racing for preferred seating in the car, arguing the entire way. Once he saw that the kitchen was spotless, Judge waited for Sanji and Ichiji to pass him by, kicking them both just because they were in reach.

That Wednesday morning, because of how last class had ended, their classmates watched them closely for any sign of animosity, or more trouble. But Law mumbled his way through his side of the presentation, Sanji snarling at Yonji for interrupting when Yonji snickered and mocked the taller student for his speech. When Yonji mimicked a particular phrasing Law to used to explain the benefits of an immigration ban, Sanji stepped over and kicked his desk with a snap for him to shut up, Mr Hansen snapping at Sanji to calm down while Yonji tried to get his wind back. Niji hollered from the back that he needed Law to speak up, but Sanji snarled at him, too. He was only doing this to get through with it; not to defend his partner. But their teacher was impressed with their debate, and even added some compliments to Law's side of the presentation. Sanji waited for his praise and received nothing but a guaranteed affirmation that they would receive full grade for it.

After they sat down, Sanji fumed over his desk, glaring at his paper. While he'd changed it to somehow match the depth and content of Law's – who was currently receiving praise from those around them for 'winning' such a difficult topic – it still didn't match the standard Law had set with his. Then he felt nitpicky because Mr Hansen was clearly babying him for his last name and influence, and he was suddenly sure he'd only passed because of it. It wasn't his true effort that Sanji had passed with; it was his name.

It was so _frustrating_ that he ended crumbling his paper and throwing it in the direction of the trashcan. Niji commented on his meltdown, kicking Koala's chair to get her to agree with him.

Once he left the class, he headed straight to his locker. He felt rage burning him up from the inside, feeling frustrated and pressure from meeting the expectations of his father, his siblings, and feeling as if the only reason why he got away with things was because of his family name. Sure, he used it to get his way, but there were times when he worked hard to get approval. When he felt he didn't get any recognition or praise for what he worked hard to accomplish, he felt angry and useless. He opened up his locker, traded textbooks, and slammed it shut, kids veering out of his way once they recognized his expression. Instead of going straight to class, he used a side door to make his way to the parking lot. With shaking hands, he lit a cigarette and sat against the left passenger side tire to avoid being seen by any teachers patrolling the building perimeters. He glared out at the street, trying to calm the raging feelings inside of him. He thought about Monday night, where they ate at yet another restaurant, with Judge mocking him for what happened, and asking for Ichiji to 'show him a few useful moves'. His older brother complied at the house once they returned home, but he'd held onto a neck choke for too long, and Sanji refused to tap because _tapping was for pussies_ , so he ended up unconscious.

Another strike against him; Judge angry at him for not tapping, his brothers laughing at him, and he was just trying to get through the week without having another 'meltdown'. But he missed his mother and his sister; life seemed so much easier with them around. Judge had forbidden the boys from talking to them unless it was their weekly court-appointed call, and monitored their cellphones to make sure they weren't texting each other on the sly. It was just a meaningless point of control for Judge to have over Sola, to hit her where it hurt the most, and it affected Sanji, too. He was closer to her than he was with Judge, so it felt when she left, a part of him left, too.

He glared at the parking lot, listening to the bell ring to signal the end of break. So he finished his cigarette and headed back towards class, still wearing a frustrated expression. He ran into some kids returning from the quad, and deliberately barged right through them, knocking items from their hands as he did so.

"Jerk!"

"Monkey!"

In class, he wrote down what he needed to, taking notes for an upcoming test next week, and vaguely had an ear on other's conversations around him. This was the only class he had without his brothers, so it was almost refreshing. It didn't make him any nicer; he still spoke snidely, mocked anyone that needed it, and made sure that they respected him for his name. But it was that last item that made him fume; why was he so determined to use that power when he hated what it had created of him? To become someone who could get by with using it, but not be praised for his hardworking efforts?

Later that day, as he was marching to his STEM class, he looked over at the library and saw Law sitting there with some books, writing in his notebook as he was the last time. Sanji made to switch direction to approach him until he caught sight of that Luffy kid hurrying down the hallway, holding various snacks in his arms. Sanji took the time to trip the kid in mid-run, then hurriedly marched into the library after the kid hit the floor in a screech of skin against linoleum, snacks flying everywhere.

Ignoring the "JERK!" shout that rang through the hallways, Sanji approached Law while clutching his messenger bag strap with both hands.

"Hey, shit head, do you have a photographic memory, or something?" he demanded, Law looking at him with surprise, closing the book he was taking notes from.

"No," he answered, slightly puzzled.

"Where did you go to school before here?"

Law set the book aside. With how fierce Sanji was looking, he expected another confrontation of some kind. The kid was really wound up, and hadn't been in a good mood since their presentation. Law didn't understand how he worked; Sanji got the grade he wanted, but now he was walking through the halls like he was looking for a fight.

Law thought about the question, wondering why he should answer it, but Sanji was standing in his pathway, glaring at him.

"West Blue," he muttered in response.

"Why are you here? Were you kicked out?"

Law thought about the benefits to answering that question. On one hand, he hadn't done anything wrong; he just needed to be closer to Rosinante. But then again, he didn't owe Sanji anything. Still, he answered softly, "I need to be closer to home."

"Are you in any Honors classes, AP?"

"No."

"What sort of shitty classes do you have, here?"

"Why?"

"Because - ! If we have similar classes, then I'd like to see what you're doing in them," Sanji said, wearing a frustrated expression. "I want to see your work."

Law furrowed his brow, not understanding what he was asking. "So you can copy off me?"

"NO!" Sanji bellowed at him, the librarian looking over with a frown. Flustered, Sanji hissed, "Not to copy – I just need to see how I measure up to your work, so I can make mine better."

Stunned, Law didn't know how to respond to that. So he just stared up at Sanji without saying anything. Smoker had told him to keep his guard up, so he wondered if Sanji were plotting on him for something, to get revenge for what happened the other day. He'd noticed how pissed Sanji was after their presentation, Niji goading him with comments about a weekly meltdown, but Law was only aware of this because he was expecting Sanji to get back at him.

" _Well_?" Sanji asked impatiently. "What classes?"

"I don't think it's important for you to know that," Law then mumbled uncomfortably, watching him warily.

Sanji grit his teeth, fists balled at his side. He ignored the warning bell, kids scattering to class at panicked runs. "Look, ignore what happened the other day. All I want is to measure myself up to someone that has the same quality of work as I have, so I can attain a better grade and give stronger effort to prove I earn my grades. I want to match my work to the quality of someone better than me."

Stunned once again, Law didn't know what to say. But he continued to remain wary; he shrugged. Sanji glared at him, then muttered as he turned away, "I'll just get your schedule from Ichiji, then. Once I do, we're going to work together a lot more than you think. I have a shit project due for Chemistry – do you have that class?"

"No."

"I have two shitty reports to do for English AP – "

Law stood up from his chair, grabbed his notebook, and walked away, Sanji following after him. "There are only two classes for our grade, and once I find out which one you're in, you'll have no choice but to work with me on that. Even if we don't have the same assignments, I need to know what you're doing so I can adjust my work to surpass the quality of yours! I found out your email, so you better check it and respond to me when I write you. I'll kick your shitty ass if you keep ignoring me! I was nice to you back then, but I can be a real ass if you keep up this silent mode when I'm asking nicely of you to do this one thing!"

Feeling overwhelmed by the demands being spit at him, Law just walked off, Sanji looking after him stubbornly. Then he hurried to his STEM class, feeling his ears burn with continued frustration.

That night, finding some comfortable quiet in his room, Sanji sent off a few emails to Law, demanding some comparisons he'd just completed with his reports. In the meantime, he started looking for the kid on social media. He didn't find any mention of him, but he did find a couple of people that could have been Law's parents mentioned in several medical journals. The man pictured with a grim expression could have been Law's father – they had the same features, the same sort of eyebags, the same facial structure, but Sanji wondered why Law was in the foster system when the man with the same last name was so respected in the medical field.

When he didn't get a response from those emails, he saved his documents and closed up his laptop, roaring with displeasure when Yonji yelled at him to come load the dishwasher.

The next day, he set out during breaks to look for the other student. He found him sitting on the bleachers on his own while the rest of his PE class challenged each other over a ridiculously overcrowded basketball game, the PE teacher noticeably napping on the bench across from them. Garp was infamous for his tough love and random napping, so that explained why it was so easy for his classes to launch out of control at times.

Sanji approached Law with a growl. "You didn't respond to my emails."

Law just ignored him, fist on cheek.

"I need a comparison check on the assignment due for an essay in Nico's class. You have history, right? Did you finish that assignment?"

Law still didn't answer him, but his brow was furrowed as he ran through his memory, to remember if there was an assignment due. While he'd assured Smoker that day he would start putting an effort into his classes, he didn't recall an assignment given in Ms Nico's class, yesterday. He did remember the syllabus saying that there were essays due mid-term and at the end of term, but he was sure Sanji wasn't referring to those. It was much too early to worry about them. But he didn't say anything of this in response to Sanji's demands.

Growing frustrated with the lack of response, Sanji asked, "Look, maybe it's easier for you if we work together, then. I can come over to your shitty house – where do you live? Because there's no way we'll get anything done at my house."

" _No_ ," Law told him, horrified at the thought of Sanji being at his place.

Seeing how tense the teen turned at the demand, Sanji latched onto that. "Why? Are you in a shitty group home, or something? I looked you up on the internet, and I was able to find out that you're being fostered, so it's not a problem for me, I don't care about that aspect. I just want to work together to achieve a better grade – "

Feeling his face redden with a mixture of emotions upon hearing that, Law just gaped at him. He didn't understand why Sanji was so fixated on him, and he felt intensely wary of his intentions. He was convinced that Sanji was only attaching himself to him for continued harassment, plotting on some devious thing; that was how bullies worked, nowadays.

He stood up and walked away from him, hearing Sanji's growl of frustration.

Not to be deterred by Law's refusal to cooperate with him, Sanji remembered Law saying that he didn't live far from Grandline. So after the last bell rang, he waited outside near a row of hedges, and once he saw Law make his way hastily from the area, he followed, phone held in hand so if Ichiji called him, he could answer quickly. He was sure he had enough time to trail Law back to his house and return in time to make the ride home.

He saw Law enter the yard of a nice house located just a couple of blocks away, a white Akita barking excitedly, running in circles around him. Law made his way inside, fighting the dog to do so. Sanji took a picture of the address located out front, then hurried back to the school. He saved that information to his phone and felt satisfied. Yonji had another practice in the evening, Ichiji had his jujitsu class, and Niji had plans to visit with some friends. Sanji figured he could take off with the car, and come to Law if Law didn't want to cooperate with him at school.

* * *

 **Guest: I'll do my best! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

* * *

That evening, as they were getting ready for their practice activities, Ichiji pulled on a sweater over his rashguard, adjusted his sweatpants. Then wandered into Yonji's room, where his brothers' voices were coming from.

"I'm going to be late," he said crossly, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'm almost done," Sanji muttered, Yonji grunting underneath him. Seated with his legs out in front of him, he used the moment to stretch with his smaller brother crouched next to him, Niji seated at the edge of Yonji's bed as Geometry Dash played loudly from his phone.

Ichiji watched them for a few moments, a disgusted expression growing on his face. Niji noticed his silence, looking up from his phone, then looking at his younger brothers. He looked back at Ichiji, asking, " _What_?"

"Is this necessary?"

"Yonji's covered in zits," Niji said. "At least Sanji is good for something."

"Yeah, because it was my fucking dream to be born into a family to pop my brothers' gross back zits!" Sanji snapped, but he did not stop popping. There was something satisfying about seeing blackheads snaking their way out of Yonji's skin that made the effort worthwhile.

"I feel so clean already," Yonji grunted, expression filled with pain, gritting his teeth as he clenched his fists over the floor, flexing. "Spot free."

"You have the nastiest blackheads, I swear," Sanji muttered, squeezing his thumbs together, removing the particles with a swipe of a tissue.

"This never leaves the house!" Niji shouted at Ichiji, pointed at him. Having finished his turn, he was sitting only in an undershirt, his shoulders red from Sanji picking at him.

"If you would all use a loofah, this wouldn't be happening!" Ichiji snapped at them. "Let's go!"

"What man uses a fucking _loofah?"_ Yonji asked, grunting again as Sanji squeezed a particularly nasty blackhead, exclaiming at the curl of trapped dirt and sweat.

"I do!" Ichiji and Sanji answered, the younger of them straightening up with a satisfied exhale. He then punched Yonji in the back of the head and ran out before Yonji could shoot out after him.

"DAD! They're going to make me late!" Ichiji shouted with exasperation, Niji hurriedly throwing on his top shirt, Yonji grabbing his practice bag, slinging that over his shoulder. Three of them dashed down the stairs, running to fight over the keys, Ichiji following at a slower pace, mumbling under his breath.

"Be back by eight thirty," Judge muttered from the den. "Don't fuck around in the car, don't you dare smoke in the car, obey all traffic laws."

Once they were out, all of them complaining and mocking each other as they climbed into the car, the evening falling over the city was a slow one. The sun was still making its way down into the mountains in the east, casting the city with a dusty aura. Sidewalks were crawling with dogs being walked, and runners taking advantage of the nice weather for their evening workout. Kids were jumping on trampolines or skateboarding, hoverboarding in driveways. Barbeque grills smoked with men standing around them, and sirens sounded in the distance.

By the time Sanji was done dropping off his brothers at their practices, he held onto the steering wheel tightly, headed towards Law's. This time, there was an old Cadillac parked in the driveway, and the Akita was standing at rigid attention, watching Sanji pull up to the curb. He heard men's voices, slinging his bag around his shoulder, but he walked up to the yard and marched in, the dog barking at him ferociously. All he did was slip her some bacon he'd baked earlier for his brothers' snacks, and she accepted him readily, wagging her tail cheerfully as she accompanied him to the porch.

He rang the doorbell and knocked firmly, clearing his throat. When the locks were moved and a tall, blond man – from the restaurant – peered out, Sanji stood firm.

"I'm Law's classmate. We have projects to work on. He keeps avoiding me at school, so I thought coming to his house would help us complete them," Sanji said, watching the man scowl at him.

"He's a little busy, at the moment – "

"Aren't grades important? These percentages matter for our grade point average, and with how much Law has missed already, I would think that this would be more important," Sanji said, pulling his phone out from his bag, swiping a couple of times. "Or is that sort of thing not given high priority around here?"

The door opened wider, and the man kicked the dog as she tried to rush in. After giving a yelp, she darted off to the porch, glowering in their direction. But Sanji realized he'd offended the man – he didn't know how – and he stood over Sanji with a glare. Sanji stood his ground, but his fingers tightened over his bag strap and phone.

After a few tense moments, the man gestured inside with a thumb, and Sanji wandered in, making a face at the mess around him. He took pictures as he walked along, a casual press of his thumb. He headed towards the sound of Law's voice in the kitchen, along with another man. But along the way, he looked with disdain at the furniture, at the sight of a diaper lying on the floor. He made sure to take a picture of that. It looked like something from a tv show; homes like this actually existed. He wondered how many times the cops had come around here, and wondered if this could be considered a 'meth house'. He barged into the kitchen and nearly slipped over something on the floor, slamming into the kitchen table with a loud _bang_!

He caught himself and looked at the frozen faces of Law and Rosinante, the latter of which had a half full glass of milk, in the mid-motion of throwing it. Clearing his throat again, Sanji unloaded his bag onto the clutter in front of him, saying grandly, "I'm here. Let's get started on these essays."

"What are you doing here?" Law asked, reddening with mortification as Sanji surveyed the kitchen with a disgusted expression, taking in the sight of a full sink, of cluttered counters with storebrand items, at a frying pan with an odd mixture of porridge and toast mixed together.

Sanji made to answer until Rosinante threw the cup at him with a shout, pushing at the table to make him leave, Law grabbing him to keep from throwing any thing else. Sanji wiped milk from his face, looking down at his soaked shirt, stepping back as Rosinante shouted with rage at the intruder. Doflamingo entered, saw what was happening, and bellowed, "Out of here!"

Reluctantly, Law left Rosinante's side, glaring at Sanji murderously. But Sanji grabbed his bag, shooting the two men a disgruntled look as he followed the taller boy out of the kitchen.

"Since you didn't want to cooperate, I figured it best to visit you here," Sanji said with a sniff, following Law down the hall and outside, onto the back porch. He pulled at his wet shirt, flicking it in an effort to dry it, and gave it up. "Ugh, what was that about? I guess I'd be upset, too, if I lived in a dump like this. Hey, do you have a baby? Are you one of those dudes that got a girl pregnant in middle school, or something? How come I don't hear it crying? Are you a bad dad? Or is the baby with the mom? Are you a deadbeat? Because you live like one..."

Fuming, Law led the way to the walkway gate, and unlatched it, opening it widely. His face and ears were still bright red, and as Sanji looked at the yard with a judgmental expression, complimenting the illegal gardeners they had the money to hire, he gestured for Sanji to follow him. Then as they emerged out in the front yard, he returned to the back, shutting the gate and locking it. Once Sanji realized what happened, he turned back to the fence with a curse.

Law was nearly to the back porch, flustered, when Sanji ran after him. "You can't get rid of me that easily! I can climb exceptionally well! I have three brothers, you know, that try the same shit!"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Law bellowed at him, and since it really was a show of force, Sanji hesitated for a moment.

Then mimicked him meanly, holding tightly onto his bag. He was up on the porch in moments, disregarding the way Law curled his fists and tensed, teeth bared with rising frustration.

"I'm here whether you like it or not. We are going to work together, so get your shit together! Besides, that man let me in because he knows I'm right about you," he said with a sneer. He pulled out his phone, swiping a couple of times before he showed Law the pictures he took. Law just looked at him with dismay, then grit his teeth, veins pulsing fiercely at all visible points. "I'm going to show everyone this and make life even worse for you! I'm going to tell everyone that you have a kid - !"

He ducked the swipe of the fist Law threw at him, then took safe distance away from him. "I'm going to tell your foster dad about this. Then I'll report this entire house to the authorities about your living conditions, and they're going to take you away! Do you want to be away from your baby?"

" _I don't have a baby_!"

"Yeah, right," Sanji said skeptically, putting his phone away just in case Law tried to wrestle it from him. "I saw that diaper. You shouldn't be ashamed of having a kid - "

"Get out of here!"

"I'm here, and I have," Sanji looked at his Apple watch, "now, thirty-five minutes. What a waste of time. I have to leave here to go pick up my brothers, and I swear to you - !"

"I'm not working with you on anything!"

"It's like you don't use your tongue to punctuate your wording correctly," Sanji said with a sniff. "Do you use your tongue at all? Try it like this – worrrrrr – "

"Fuck out of here!" Law shouted with absolute impatience.

The door opened, and both of them silenced as Doflamingo looked out at them, an angry look to his face. "What is going on out here?" he demanded.

"He doesn't care about our grades," Sanji huffed. "He's refusing to work with me, and I think - !"

"After the last conference I had, I would think this would be important," Doflamingo said low to Law, deeper meaning written on his expression.

"It's not! This isn't important!"

"Get it done and shut it up!" Doflamingo snarled at him. "Keep your goddamn voices down, you're upsetting Rosinante!"

"The baby?" Sanji asked, a touch too eagerly.

Doflamingo glared at him, then at Law, slamming the door shut. The lock sounded moments later, Law rolling his eyes and looking pissed.

Sanji reeled himself in, wearing his stubborn expression again. He pulled his notebook out, flipping to the right page. "This is for Ms Nico's class. I want you to look it over, insert your thoughts, anywhere. Legible, with this red pen."

"NO!"

"I have the real document saved on my laptop, but I thought this would be easier for you. Just do that, I'll work on my Trig. I don't want you writing it, I just want your input on whether or not I'm going in the right direction, with the correct amount of depth that'll really impress Ms Nico to give me the grade I deserve."

Law snatched the notebook from him, and looked it over. Then he snatched the pen Sanji held out, Sugar venturing onto the porch with a cautious look. Sanji looked pleased that Law was doing as he'd demanded, and leaned down to pet the dog. But once Law held the notebook out to him, he snatched it from him with an eager expression and scowled.

"I don't appreciate this stubbornness of yours," Sanji said, indicating the large ' _Fuck you_ ' written across the page. "It's going to backfire on you. All you had to do was give me your thoughts, and – "

"I did. Now, go!"

"Look, two can plan at this game. I'm going to drop a line to social services on your behalf, because you shouldn't be worked like a slave," Sanji indicated the house with a thumb.

Gritting his teeth, Law fisted his hands at his sides. Before he could say anything, Sanji heard a small ding come from his watch, and he looked at it to see that Niji was texting him. he turned his back to Law to answer it, Law looking at him incredulously before turning to the door and knocking at it impatiently.

"I've got to go," Sanji said reluctantly. "I'll be back tomorrow in the library so we can talk about things, and you can go over this correctly. But remember, I have pictures, and I know you've got a baby, so that'll go over well with everyone in class – "

" _I don't have a baby_!"

"But it'd make sense! Unless it's that retard that wears those things – " Sanji started to say with a thoughtful frown before Law punched him again, knocking him completely off his feet. He hit the porch with a flounce, Sugar barking excitedly as she attacked him with forceful licks and prancing feet.

Flailing, Sanji pushed the dog away and rose to his feet with a shocked expression. But he spit blood onto the porch with a growl, wiping his face. "I've been hit harder than that," he said, making his way to the stairs, Sugar following after him. "And I'm not giving up. So if you don't want certain rumors floating around you, or a call to your social worker regarding the shack you live in, you better be at the library tomorrow. Bring your A game, English."

Law glared after him, shaking slightly. The door opened, and before Doflamingo could ask, Law barged in and went immediately for Rosinante, finding that the man was upset with the interruption to his dinner.

"What was that about?" Doflamingo asked, locking the door behind him.

"Just a nuisance from school," Law muttered, cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. He looked back warily to see if Doflamingo were upset in any way, but the man was more concerned about the state of his brother than he was with Law.

Rosinante was upset by the intruder's interruption, sitting sullenly at the kitchen table, head hanging forward. He was a mixture of emotions, and Law could tell he was ashamed with his appearance, with his actions. Unable to help himself, Rosinante could only act as he did to express himself, and he looked at Law with a slack frown, accusing him for not preparing him for the visit. Shrugging, Law just cleaned his face and picked up the mess caused by Sanji's visit, Doflamingo heading to the living room to turn on their evening shows.

The next day, he waited at the library for Sanji, scowling at the table. Once the Vinsmoke arrived, the word "Jerk!" following after him, Law glared at him. Sanji unloaded his bag onto the table, pulling out his notebook, revealing a freshly written page. With a satisfied expression, Sanji sat across from him, handing over the red pen. He flipped through his photos as Law read the essay with a scowl, marking wherever he could.

"Do you have a photo of your baby?" Sanji asked curiously, propping his white shoes up on the table.

Law ignored him.

"Just tell me one thing – is it a boy, or girl? I can see you with a girl," Sanji decided, flipping through his photos. "How did it feel having a kid at your age? Is that why you transferred?"

Law tuned him out. As he was reading Sanji's essay, he couldn't help but notice that it was in fine form; there was nothing wrong with it. The topic was an easy one for Sanji to follow, and he made good points. Law didn't understand why he had to be involved. He looked at the teen, seeing that he'd left a mark on Sanji's cheek. The teen looked used to having injury, because he didn't draw attention to it, or look self-conscious. Law supposed it that sort of thing came with having the brothers Sanji had.

He tossed the notebook back to him. "I don't know what I'm looking for."

Sanji read the few notes that he'd left, and scowled, jaw tensing. "This doesn't give me much," he muttered. "Is this something that _you'd_ feel comfortable writing?"

"No."

"Is there something wrong with it? Does it feel engaging?"

"No. It's fine."

"Just 'fine'?" Sanji repeated, looking at him with a frown. His curled eyebrow twitched. His perfectly side parted hair seemed to move on its own, fluffing out as veins started pulsing at his temple. The quick change of snobby haughtiness was starting to melt away, and Law couldn't help but stare at him warily. "So, when someone reads this, they'll just think 'fine'? This is the _'fine'_ work of someone that just does _'fine'_?"

Law gestured with his hands spread, unsure of what exactly Sanji was looking for.

"I'm looking for something that immediately captures interest, that makes them want to read more! I'm looking for more than just ' _fine'_ – if this is just ' _fine'_ , then it's fucking _unacceptable_!" Sanji snapped, rising from his chair and ripping that page from his notebook, shredding it with fury. Law just stared at him, watching him go from 0 to 100. In the back of his mind, he heard Sanji's brother, Niji, comment on an incoming meltdown.

Shoving the shredded paper into his bag, Sanji snatched it up and stomped out from the library, and Law just sat there with an amazed expression, utterly puzzled how a kid could go from one level to the next in the span of a few seconds.

That evening, as he was washing dishes, Doflamingo and Rosinante in the kitchen, there was a pounding at the door. Dread gripped his midsection as he abandoned the sink, wiping his hands on his clothes, Doflamingo looking over with a frown as Rosinante started to get agitated.

"Take it outside!" Doflamingo snapped, slugging back the rest of his beer.

Opening the door, Law pushed Sanji out from the doorway as he made to walk in, and shut the door behind him. he took Sanji's notebook from him as he held it out, Sugar dancing around their feet as Sanji gestured at him to read it. Regarding the teen with a frown, Law just held the notebook in both hands, Sanji gesturing at it once more, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and tapping his foot.

"Read it!" Sanji snapped at him. "I don't have all day! I have to pick up Ichiji in thirty minutes!"

Law glanced at the Buick parked at the curb, recognizing it from the school parking lot. Then he opened it up – he couldn't help but notice page after page filled with work that Sanji had edited himself with his red pen, marking over his words with notes and mark outs, along with list after list of To-Do items that were dated and crossed off upon completion.

He then took a seat on a chair, Sanji lighting up a cigarette as Sugar jumped at him, waiting for affection. As Sanji crouched to do so, Law wishing for the Akita to bite or maul him in some way, he looked over the essay. It had changed slightly, taking on a different course from yesterday, and seemed more long-winded, with more unimportant parts that seemed only to distract a reader, not engage in them. He looked up again, wondering why he should have to do this. What did it benefit him? He didn't care if Sanji spread rumors about him – it wasn't as if he'd be there very long, anyway. He was quite certain Doflamingo would get rid of him to take in another kid, to take over his spot.

"Stop day dreaming and read it, English!" Sanji snapped at him, holding his cigarette to the side as Sugar licked at him.

With a sullen expression, Law marked out everything that looked unimportant to the essay. By the time he was finished, there was more red than black, and when he gave it back, Sanji snatched it from him and started reading. Then turned bright red. At that moment, Sugar tugged the notebook away and ran off, wanting to be chased, so Sanji gave chase, yelling expletives and furious curses while Sugar darted about. Law tossed the pen onto the sidewalk and went back inside, sure that he was through.

That night, Sanji rewrote the essay, gritting his teeth noisily in front of his laptop. He glared at the notebook next to him, furious at the sight of red pen over his words. While Law did make it a point to add that this essay wasn't due for a couple of months, that Ms Nico might even change the topic, it infuriated him that he just wasn't getting it right. he started to feel frustration and rage rise up in him; he just wasn't doing it right, and he didn't understand why he wasn't good enough. How could he ever measure up to his brothers if he couldn't even get a good essay going?

After a few moments, he slammed the laptop shut and rested over it, struggling to breathe slow. His heart was still slamming against his ribcage, and his breathing was labored – he searched for his paper bag, hidden underneath some thick books at the corner of his desk, and breathed into it. The panic attack went away after some minutes, but he felt so inadequate that these feelings swirled around in side of him long after that.

He went to bed, looking through his phone, swiping through the pictures he'd taken at Law's house. After much thought, the diaper didn't look like a baby's, after all. It was much too big. He thought of the adult that attacked him, wondering what was wrong with him. But it started to make sense that this was why Law looked so exhausted all the time. Sanji couldn't imagine taking care of another adult – he tried picturing his father in that man's place, and while the image didn't fit, there was a slight swirl of satisfaction in it. Seeing his father weak and helpless, frustrated with being unable to care for himself made something inside of him feel better.

He switched off his phone and set it aside, wondering if it were okay to think that.

The next day, he moved hastily to clean up the kitchen, setting aside three large breakfast sandwiches for his brothers. Judge had gone to work early for a breakfast date with his colleagues, so it was safe to do so. Hearing the usual spiel of teenage boys fighting over space in the bathroom made him feel smug – he usually got up before they did and was ready long before them, giving him time to cook and clean without any hassle. He wondered how his mother and sister were doing, imagining that their mornings were so much easier between them, but that only hurt.

He wondered, once again, why Law wasn't with his parents.

That morning, he jabbed him with his pen, noticing that he was making a mark impossible to remove from his uniform. Law ignored him, but Sanji could see him tensing up. The class was loud with activity – everyone was pitching in ideas on a topic involving the military, and Yonji's voice was the loudest.

"Give me your thoughts on the foster system," Sanji hissed. "Is it good, or bad? It can't be all that bad if the state's willing to pay for it. Would this make a good topic for my Social Studies, class? There's a report coming up, and I want to write about this, considering I have you as an example."

Law didn't answer, but he did pull his back away from his chair. Sanji scowled at him, leaning over his desk before resting his cheek against his notebook to glare at the rest of his class. Then he straightened up and glared at the back of Law's head. He gave a disgusted snort, jabbing him in the middle of the back, this time. He kept jabbing him, waiting for a response. He was ready for Law to snap, this time, sure it wouldn't end like the last.

"Don't you set your alarm early enough to at least take a shower?" he asked low. "Can't you take a brush to school to fix your hair? If you cleaned yourself up, maybe people would like you."

He chewed on his gum, giving sharp snaps as he did so. Then he ran his own hands through his hair to make sure it was still as perfect as he'd combed it, before kicking Law's chair. "it only takes ten minutes to run a fucking comb through, to make yourself presentable. Why are you so fucking lazy?"

"Sanji, why are you such a jerk?" a kid to his right asked impatiently, looking fed up with him. "Leave him alone."

"Shut up, this doesn't concern you. Or would you like to take your concerns outside?" Sanji snapped at him. "I'm only on his ass because he's got a kid he needs to be a good example, for."

"I don't have a fucking kid," Law finally answered on a low snarl, kids looking over with interest at the rising tension.

"He does! He does, see?" Sanji found the photo he was looking for, showing them the diaper. "See this? He has a kid at his house, that's why he's at this school! But it's not with him – he's a goddamn deadbeat."

"God, leave him alone," the first kid muttered.

"I just want his kid to be proud of him," Sanji continued, flipping through his photos once more. "If he doesn't give his kid any reason to be proud of him, then it's no wonder he's not with it."

"Useless things, Sanji," Niji warned from nearby. "Shut the fuck up and pay attention to class, fag."

"I'm not a fucking fag!" Sanji snapped at him, slapping his phone down on the desk. "I'm just saying – I sit behind English, and he always looks and smells like shit! Just once, I'd like to come to class not smelling his BO, or looking at his lopsided head!"

"He's just pissed today because dad was bawling him out for having stiff sheets this morning," Niji said with a heavy sigh, Sanji reddening. "My poor brother, can't keep it to his socks like a normal person."

Sanji rattled his desk, scattering most of his things to the floor before snarling at him, "That's not true, you shit head! Shut up! I didn't!"

"Hah, you did, that's why you're spazzing out!" Niji laughed.

The other kids around him snickered and made remarks about Sanji, to which he growled and kicked Law's chair again before he bent and picked up his things. When the bell rang, he stomped out the door, Niji laughing after him. Once he had a place to smoke, Sanji glared out at the parking lot, fuming. He recognized that he let his brother get the best of him, and reached for his phone to text him. But the more he looked, the more he realized that he couldn't find it. So he backtracked back to the class, looked around his desk, and asked Mr Hansen about it. Once the teacher told him no one had turned in a phone, he went to his locker and looked in there. Frantic, he raced back to the parking lot, trying not to make it obvious that he'd lost his phone.

His heart rate began to rise as he found nothing, trying to think of the last place he had it. Hands in his hair, he thought about how angry Judge was going to be, finding out that he'd lost a rather expensive smartphone. He raced back to the school as the bell rang, and went to the front office, to ask Ichiji for his laptop. Once he explained why, he managed to locate the app needed to find out the location of his cell. With some horror, he saw that the location settings had been turned off on his phone. Someone had known his password, and entered his phone to do so. He said nothing to Ichiji, snarling about Niji taking his phone, and raced off, late for his next class.

Later on in the library, Law looked through all the photos from Sanji's phone, seeing that he had pictures of what looked to be his mother and sister; there were pictures of cookbooks and recipes, pictures of animals taken at a distance. There were pictures of notes taken from classroom boards and study guides, but nothing of his brothers or father. His apps were kik, Instagram and Facebook, but none of those had been updated in weeks. His Instagram Post Likes were local girls, but most of them were smiling faces and girls cuddling pets; nothing like a teenage boy should be wild over, considering how many pictures were available regarding girls in scanty clothing and suggestive posses. Snapchat had been installed, but hadn't been activated. Pinterest had been hidden in a storage app with other useless icons, and revealed multiple boards of recipes, home decorations, outfit ideas, and, most interestingly enough, men in states of undress.

For a guy that threw around the 'fag' word a lot, he sure did have a lot of pictures of guys walking dogs, and boards full of well-dressed or underdressed men. He glanced over all of Sanji's messages, noting that the only people he truly texted were his brothers. Because Sanji had been such a mean shit to him since day one, Law took screenshots of all of Sanji's man boards, and, along with a note containing the password to Sanji's phone, sent these pictures in a group message to his brothers, father.

To be extra vindictive, he restored the phone to factory settings. Then he took the time to return the phone to the librarian, saying he'd found it in one of the shelves, and left – feeling a lot happier than he had in a very long time.

* * *

 **Pokipo: heh heh he has his moments!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

* * *

That evening, Sanji's stomach was in knots as Judge called him to his study. All afternoon, his brothers had been suspiciously quiet, grinning widely, whispering amongst themselves as they looked at him. He had thought they were only anticipating the ass chewing that was to come, and didn't think too much of their unusual silence. When Judge indicated that he close the door behind him, he looked very tense, sitting rigidly in front of his laptop. Unsure of what was happening, Sanji crossed the space between them and sat down in the chair facing his desk, wondering with panic why his father regarded him so suspiciously. He could feel himself sweating, armpits growing moist and his palms wet as he fiddled with his fingers. He wondered if the principal had called Judge regarding that fight with Law, or Judge was just following up on it; as far as Sanji was concerned, the matter was dropped after Judge had expressed his disgust with him. But Sanji wondered if Law's guardian had made a phone call to complain.

Judge stared at him with a stiff frown, saying nothing while Sanji felt his lungs tighten up with anxiety.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Sanji finally sputtered, fiddling with his school slacks. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened to it! It was there one second, then it was gone the next, and - !"

"So, am I to understand that you still are not in possession of your phone?"

"…No," Sanji confirmed nervously, smoothing his palms over his thighs. "No, I…I still haven't found it. I'm going to check Lost and Found again, once I get to school – "

"In the meantime, I want you to do something for me," Judge said, sliding the laptop to him. Sanji saw with horror that he had Pinterest up on the screen, login waiting for input. In the same window were Instagram, Facebook, and the Apple page. On that page, the Find My iPhone search was up, and it was already with his account settings; having required his password to do so. But the phone was inactive, another screen open to a FAQ page. The other tabs were clearly accessed - he'd used the same password he had for his phone to use for his apps, saving on time and concentration, so he was horrified to see that his father had been going through his pages. Sanji knew Judge wouldn't find anything in those tabs - Pinterest was the only guilty app he possessed, requiring a different password because of the content it contained.

"Sign into your account so that I may verify something."

Ice running through his veins, Sanji's frown remained in place. But he did as he was asked, apprehensive as his account was pulled up. Knowing that he was caught, he only sat there with a frozen expression as his father went through his saved boards. He'd started the application to hide away recipes, home decorating ideas, clothing inspiration – but the more he looked, the more he realized just how attractive some of the men were that wore his clothing aspirations. He'd created a separate board to oogle over them later, and one board led to another until he had one that was mainly men in various states of undress – not full photos of men deliberately undressing, but a slip of a shirt here, low slung shorts there. Pinterest didn't allow for specific topics in their search engine, but enough snooping and swiping had gathered him just enough photos for him to have a board full of what he'd never thought to look for. His hormones had made a very unfamiliar decision to have him hot over things he was very uncomfortable with, and Pinterest had helped.

Unfortunately, that unexpected feeling of pleasure at having such a thing at hand to look at whenever he finally had a private moment felt suddenly dirty and very disgusting. He knew how bad it looked, and he knew that there was no way explaining his way out of it. His neck, face and ears reddened with shame as he stared down at his slacks, clutched tightly within both hands.

"Do you have something you need to tell me?" Judge asked him, lips thinned.

"No," Sanji answered, barely above a whisper.

"Then explain to me how this works. In order to create a board, you must pin things to it, yes?"

"…Yes."

"I'd understand if you were taking in certain ideas that looked pleasing based on appeal, but I don't understand _this_ board," Judge said, gesturing at the one Sanji couldn't hide from him. He didn't look at it, because he had no idea what sort of expression to make, or even felt brave enough to see what expression Judge was wearing. But his mind raced; he wondered what had happened to his phone, and wondered what exactly had been shared. He was currently wondering if one of his brothers had snatched off with it, and thought hastily of a story to accuse them of doing this, but Judge then added, "It was interesting receiving this message, today. I had prepared myself for the possibility that all of you were partaking in your usual snippets, but there was no reply from you, and Ichiji mentioned that you looked very scared, today. It all made sense. Now, I am…trying to process what exactly had been sent to us."

"Sent?" Sanji questioned, looking at him with a clueless expression. "You were sent something…? From my phone?"

Judge studied him to see if anything on Sanji's face represented anything troublesome he had to work with. Once he was satisfied that Sanji truly looked puzzled, he grunted, indicating the screen. "Included in a group text with myself and your brothers, there were screenshots of these boards, and your phone password. I am unable to locate your phone, but it now makes sense that you still were unable to locate it. Your brothers and I are very upset at this…thing you were hiding from us. But it's no wonder that your guilt is rather telling."

If it wasn't his brothers who had taken his phone, _then who was it_? Sanji pictured his first period class, trying to think of the exact last moment he'd seen his phone. It had been on his desk, and he had been bothering Law when that other kid tried to speak up for him –

Sanji's fists tightened in his lap. There was a moment when he'd rattled his desk, and he had ended up picking everything up nearly a minute later. He must've dropped his phone then. His face and neck reddened with growing rage and frustration, quite certain it had been Law to do this.

"Someone took my phone and played a prank – whatever it was, it was a prank - !"

"So, you've been missing your phone for nearly four days?" Judge interrupted him, Sanji silencing as he glanced at the screen. He winced because he couldn't use that excuse. The last pin he made was four days ago, on his recipe board. His man board hadn't been updated for nearly two weeks. With no recent date to use his excuse on, Sanji felt doomed. "Try again."

Sanji's face burned under the stare Judge pinned him with. Judge exhaled noisily. The silence in Judge's study was thick and heavy, Sanji clutching his fingers until they turned color.

"Get out," Judge ordered tightly, Sanji quickly leaving the chair and hurrying for the door. He heard the scurrying sounds of his brothers leaping in different directions, having pressed against the door to listen, and once he was outside the study, he saw them taking cover down the hall, hiding themselves uselessly in the bathroom with hissing arguments and giggles. He shut the door and hurried upstairs, feeling out of breath. Once in his room, he shut the door and leaned up against it, unsure of how to feel. He knew it was going to get worse. If that text had been sent to his brothers, too, then it explained why they were looking at him with smug expressions, unusually quiet after school. Their father must have realized that Sanji was without his phone and instructed them not to say anything until he had a chance to talk to him.

To think that Law would do this made Sanji's hair stand on end. Apparently, English was unaware of what he'd done to Sanji's position in his own family. All the hard work he'd done to secure what position he had within the family had been broken underneath his feet because of this. He walked over to his desk and sat slowly in the chair, heart racing. Then he searched for his paperbag, stood from the chair and retreated to his closet. He entered it to shut the door behind him, sitting up against his shoe rack to breathe into the bag. All he thought about was his future crumbling ahead of him, of losing all his hard work because he couldn't resist creating a single board of beautiful boys his own age. He wished he could speak to his mother, but he thought that Judge would only accuse Sola of encouraging this sort of 'behavior', and make it more impossible for her to get into contact with the boys. So Sanji felt he couldn't bring the subject up to his own mother.

But it frustrated him at that moment – why didn't Sola try harder to fight Judge? Didn't she want them? Or was she satisfied with weekly calls and short visits allowed only school breaks? If she really loved them, she would make more of an effort to get into contact with them; if she _truly_ loved them, she wouldn't have moved out of state just to get away from Judge. It was frustrating that Sola took the easy way out, and Sanji felt he couldn't say anything to her. He figured Reiju must feel the same way by not contacting them independently – he sure could use some guidance at this point, and Sanji felt he had none.

Frustrated, he hung his head in his hands, and struggled to think. He heard his name being bellowed in tandem by his brothers, roaring at him to help them in the kitchen, and put himself together quickly.

That next morning, he was relieved to find his phone in the office, but it had been reset. Upset, thinking about everything he'd lost that he had yet to back up into the Cloud, he wandered off to class with a tense expression. The rest of the day, he managed to pass through with vague concentration; he was building up his anger and intent on confronting Law after school. Sure enough, after he'd dropped off his brothers at their respective evening practices, he headed over to Law's. He pounded on the door, feeling his anger building hotly from deep inside of him as he waited. This time, that tall man didn't even bother answering the door – he bellowed for Law to take his business outside, and Sanji stepped away from the door with his arms tightly crossed, fuming as he heard all the locks removed, and the taller student walked outside.

Sanji whirled to face him, jaw tense. " _I know you did it_."

Law frowned down at him, looking clueless.

"Don't give me that! I know you took my phone! I know you did this!" Sanji snarled at him, facing him. "You took my phone! You sent that message to my father -!"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Law argued, glaring at him, setting himself warily from Sanji's reaching distance.

"You _would_ do that," Sanji snapped. "You would! You passive aggressive fuck, you know you did it! What was the point of it? Do you realize what you did? Of course not! You don't fucking know me! How _dare_ you - ?"

"Don't come to my home and - !"

"This isn't even your 'home', is it?" Sanji shouted at him. " _This isn't your home_! No one wants you, that's why you're rented out to people like this guy, paid for by the state because your real parents don't give a fuck about you!"

Law scowled at him, fists tightening at his sides. But he said nothing in response, and Sanji felt it was true. It bothered him, feeling a tinge of recognition at that point. _Almost_ as if he could identify with him; it was a crazy idea.

"Did it make you happy?" Sanji then asked him, not moving. "Stealing my phone, sending off that shit? That's what you do, don't you? _Steal_? Because you said you don't have a phone, so you thought to steal mine, and then make my life miserable, for some odd reason – "

"Oh, shut up, like you're an innocent _victim_ ," Law scoffed quietly. "No one feels sorry for someone that makes life miserable for everyone else. No one feels sympathy for you after how you treat people!"

It was true, but Sanji didn't want to hear it from him. "So you did! You _did_ do this, didn't you? I could report you to the school for you stealing my phone in the first place – "

"With what proof?" Law challenged him, growing defensive.

"I know you did it! You were the only one that could!"

"I wouldn't bother with anything that you own! I don't care about you and your life!"

"You _would_ , because you feel bullied. You're just a weak, unwanted foster kid, lashing out on those that are doing better than you are!" Sanji sneered at him. "You're only jealous because I have a real home, I can afford cool, new things, and a future, and I live with _real_ parents - !"

"Not _both_ of them," Law pointed out, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as his shoulders hunched.

Sanji reddened.

"Whoever fucked your life up knew you deserved it," Law added. He smirked. "Must've been pretty difficult coming out the way you did."

"YOU DID IT! I said nothing about that part - !"

"I only said that because your continuous use of it as a derogative gives you away. Only people who use it the way you do are guilty of it."

"Oh, shut up, you don't know me - !"

"Right. Fag."

"YOU ARE!"

"Take your issues elsewhere, psycho," Law muttered, turning away to reach for the door.

Sanji kicked the door, inches from where Law had been reaching, creating a loud thump that vibrated the wood. Law jerked backward in reaction, putting space between them.

"You think you can just come in and ruin my life, and get away with it?" Sanji asked, visibly shaking.

"You created this problem for yourself."

"YOU STOLE MY PHONE!"

"You got it back," Law scoffed. Then smirked again.

Infuriated that Law _just didn't get_ what he'd done, Sanji screamed at him, "You ruined everything I worked hard for!"

"I don't care about your life."

"You poor, white trash!"

"Spoiled rich brat."

"SAY IT RIGHT! You three year old speaking fuck!"

The door opened at that moment, Doflamingo looking out at both of them with disgust. Sanji marched right up to him, shouting, " _He stole my phone_!"

"I didn't! He has it in his back pocket!" Law exclaimed reedily, gesturing at him.

"Keep it down! If this has nothing to do with school work, get the fuck off my property," Doflamingo then snapped at Sanji. Sanji faltered, because now that he was faced with the man, he suddenly realized how much bigger he was. Sanji also noticed that Law had dropped the somewhat confident stance he'd taken earlier, looking nervously at Doflamingo.

Rigidly, Sanji then cried, "He is causing me problems at school, and with my home life! He's telling all these lies to my family because he's jealous of me - !"

Doflamingo snorted, looking at Sanji with clear exasperation. "I somewhat doubt that."

"This has nothing to do with school. Can I come back inside?" Law asked tentatively.

"He stole my phone, and he's humiliated me in front of my own family by telling them these lies about me!" Sanji snapped. "He shouldn't be allowed to get away with that!"

"What sort of 'lies'?" Doflamingo asked, but he really wasn't interested.

Sanji sputtered, then realized he couldn't explain why. Law looked at him with impatience, then at Doflamingo, intending on returning back to the inside of his house. Doflamingo glared down at him. "Fix this."

"He needs to tell my dad what he did!" Sanji shouted.

"You are so fucking loud!" Doflamingo complained. "Lower your voice."

He didn't lower his voice, but Sanji explained, "He stole my phone and sent off some lies to my family about me, and now my family's pissed at me! He needs to fix it! He's responsible for this mess in the first place!"

"Get him to go away," Doflamingo told Law. "I would hate for any trouble to come to Rosinante, listening to this crap."

"There's nothing to fix!" Law exclaimed, hands out. "He's crazy!"

"HE STOLE MY PHONE!"

"FIX IT!" Doflamingo snapped before slamming the door and locking it, Sugar barking at the sound of his voice. She had been tied up in the back, having caused him trouble earlier, so once his shout registered, she began to bark incessantly.

"Apologize to my father for making up these lies!" Sanji insisted, Law looking terribly put out. "Then he'll get off my case!"

Law crossed his arms again, glaring down at him. With a stubborn set of his jaw, his expression answered for him. Furious, Sanji glowered at him, practically shaking all over again. His watch was making a dinging sound, but he clearly didn't hear it.

"I didn't take your phone – "

" _Fucking liar_! This is what you do, isn't it? You go from place to place because no one wants you – "

"No one wants you either, if you have to prove to your family you're not - !"

"You don't know my life! You don't know what I'm going through!"

"You don't know _me_!"

"I don't need to!"

"I don't find any favor in knowing yours, either."

"I have to work hard to prove myself!" Sanji shouted at him. "I struggle to meet the expectations of my father and my brothers, and I work hard at everything I do just to prove I'm just as capable as they are at succeeding! For you to ruin everything, _all_ my years of working -!"

"I don't care about any of that! You're just a spoiled rich fuck that thinks he's entitled to everything!"

"That's not my fault! I can't help -!"

"I don't feel any sympathy for you. You made things entirely difficult for me ever since I walked into that classroom – why should I feel anything for your little sob story?"

Sanji panted lightly, feeling all his emotions building up in his throat, getting trapped there as Law regarded him stubbornly. The taller boy snorted, then mimed wiping his eyes.

Sanji lunged at him, Law kicking out, both of them slamming up against the door as Sugar barked noisily. They scuffled against the door, then jerked away onto the porch, both of them with their hands at each other. Neither of them heard Doflamingo open the door, catch sight of them, and take a single step necessary to reach out and separate them. He jerked Law roughly to the door, practically tossing him inside, disregarding Sanji completely as the blond struggled to catch his breath, straightening his clothes. The door slammed behind both of them, and Sanji stood there to try and calm himself, aware that he'd reacted badly. Hands in his hair, he pulled himself together, hearing Doflamingo shouting fiercely at Law.

He did hear the obvious sounds of moving furniture, of more shouts, and Sanji stilled, unsure of how to react. There was a world of difference to hearing a grown man scream at someone Sanji's age, rather than his own father's quietly uttered threats. Those crashing noises didn't sound good – it was somewhat terrifying for Sanji to hear this type of violence. It scared him, especially as he heard the thuds continue. He didn't know what was happening behind that closed door – all he knew was the sound of a man shouting fiercely and banging noises that made Sanji feel nervous.

He turned and left the porch, feeling shaky. Climbing into the Buick, it took him a couple of times before he could start it; then he pulled away, feeling his heart race with fear. It wasn't until he pulled up in front of Ichiji's gym when he finally checked his watch, and realized Yonji had been the one texting him to come pick him up. He responded to him, but hours later, safe within his own home, Sanji was still shaken by the encounter.

He didn't see Law at school the next day; he'd fully intended on confronting him again, but when Wednesday came around, Law wasn't at first period, either. Feeling a different sort of anxiety, Sanji jiggled his knee, wondering if he'd been the only witness to a murder, or something. Doflamingo's voice had been terrifying, and in his state, Sanji wasn't sure what he'd heard; but he knew it was frightening. He wanted to feel satisfaction because it was agreeable to the crime that had been committed on his behalf, but another part of him felt scared because he had never been exposed to that type of situation, before. His father was harsh, but he used words and action to strike fear in his boys; not actual physical violence. Sanji did remember seeing the way Doflamingo had grabbed Law at the restaurant, the taller boy's reaction telltale of previous treatment; so this fear he felt made him feel strange. Had he been witness to something horrible? Should he tell someone?

But then Sanji talked himself out of that because maybe it wasn't his place to bring it up. And he still felt angry that Law had exposed him. All through that period, he told himself that Law deserved whatever had happened, anyway. Because he'd ruined Sanji's life; his brothers kept teasing him about those messages, and his father went through his phone, putting restrictions on it that would notify him of Sanji's every action. Judge barely acknowledged him, giving a grunt whenever Sanji presented him with a graded assignment, disregarding his word over the work he'd poured into the task. But Judge was quick to praise his brothers for theirs, along with their accomplishments in practice, the praise from other parents about their potential for this season's outlook. Sanji felt he was being purposely ignored, and it burned at him, how quickly he seemed to fall from the other day's transgression.

After class, he lingered in the area just to see if Law would come in late again; this new feeling of apprehension left Sanji feeling mighty uncomfortable.

'Text me if he comes in,' Sanji texted Ichiji, his older brother's response being the middle finger emoji.

'Is that your new love interest?' Ichiji then added. 'Fag.'

'Just tell me! Stop calling me that!'

'What's it to you?'

'I might've gotten him into some real trouble.'

'So?'

Because Sanji felt he couldn't say why, he left it at that. Ichiji pressed for more details, more concerned with it affecting them as a family rather than for an individual concern. Sanji ignored him, going to his next class with a stark expression. He couldn't concentrate on taking notes, watching the windows to see if Law would pass by them on his way to class. At lunch, he scanned the parking lot, then abandoned his brothers to go look for him. The kids he normally tortured cringed or reacted defensively when they saw Sanji coming, but they were left bewildered when Sanji ignored them. At the end of the day, he hung out near the hedges and waited to see if he'd see Law then.

The next day passed in this same fashion, and Sanji chewed at his fingernails as he wondered if he should tell somebody. Ichiji noticed how quiet he was, observing his younger brother's action as he noticeably searched the crowd of kids in the halls for someone. Reluctantly taking his time returning to the building during breaks. Unusually nervous as he watched windows.

That night, Ichiji took it upon himself to ask Sanji across the table why it mattered. They were seated at a Cracker Barrel, the area full with busy tables, and they'd just been served. He was too nervous to eat, pushing his food around with contemplation when Ichiji spoke up.

Under the direct attention of his father and brothers, Sanji felt himself grow timid. But he found his words carefully, saying slowly, "No reason. I just…bug him. A lot."

"He's in love with him," Yonji decided, snorting.

" _I'm not_!"

"Obsessed with him ever since he first walked in," Niji sneered, his mouth full of mashed potatoes.

" _I am not!_ "

"Why are all of you so focused on someone like this?" Judge asked, unable to understand why his boys were so focused on a new transfer student.

"We're _not_!" Three of them cried out with exasperation, Ichiji scowling at them for the unnecessary noise.

Sanji thought about what he was saying, then mustered up the words, "We were working on some essays, together, and he was proof reading my stuff – "

"Why not ask _me_ for help?" Ichiji asked stiffly, cleaning his mouth with his napkin. "Am I not good enough for you?"

"No one is on your level," Sanji answered with disgust. "I'd rather someone who was near similar to me in respects to – "

"Your brother's grades are flawless," Judge interrupted. "Why are you not approaching him for guidance? You could use a little of it."

"Dad, no one wants to because Ichiji is an alien from out of space," Yonji said before Sanji could speak up for himself. "No one can hope to measure up to him, even if it is to get some help!"

"You mean, neither of you will even bother trying to measure up to the standard he stands up?"

" _No_ ," Niji answered with a scoff. "We'd probably end up killing ourselves trying. No thanks. I'm good."

"Idiots," Judge commented lightly. But he frowned at Sanji. "You'd rely outside the family for assistance? What makes you think that this is acceptable?"

Sanji swallowed tightly. "Because he writes…better than I do. His papers are…something I'd want to measure myself to."

"I don't understand."

"I can't explain it that well, but he's a genius – "

"Ichiji is better known."

"But I don't want to - !"

"Dad, allow me to explain," Ichiji cut in smoothly. "The real reason why Sanji feels he can better perform is because this kid is easily bullied. I feel that Sanji only goes to him to have him 'assist', if you know what I mean, because he cannot fight back."

" _That's not it_!" Sanji shouted.

"Lower your voice!" Judge snapped at him. "There is no need to yell! Why are you _always_ yelling? If you feel you cannot speak without lifting your voice to be heard, stop screaming so shrilly."

"I'm just trying to explain that - !"

"If that's all that it is, I suggest you cease this immediately! It's bad enough that you struggle to produce a worthy grade without talking to the teachers after each assignment, using our name to get your way, but to know that you're allowing another student to complete your work is despicable!"

" _DAD, that's not it_ -!"

"I told you to stop _yelling_! You know what? Leave. Wait for us in the car. There's no need for you to continue sitting here if you're only going to yell and make excuses for your piss poor performance," Judge decided, tossing his fork down onto his plate with disgust.

Sanji stared at him incredulously, but he shoved away from the table and stalked off, nearly running into a waiter with a full platter.

Niji and Yonji snickered, quietly finishing their meal while Ichiji frowned. He looked at Judge. "I could have been mistaken, but he is expressing concern over that kid."

" _Why_?" Yonji asked with bewildered action.

"I don't know. But it's weird how suspicious his behavior turned when English first came around. Don't you think?"

"I don't pay attention. I don't care."

"Do you think Sanji is using him?" Judge asked his eldest.

"I don't know," Ichiji repeated. "I don't know what my brother is thinking when it comes to that kid."

"After that debacle with the pictures, I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement with the real reason why!" Niji snickered.

"That sort of joke is not appreciated anywhere in my vicinity," Judge muttered. "You all can continue to discourage him from taking that sort of path, but I do not appreciate it being so openly displayed in front of me. It's bad enough, the excuses I have to come up with to explain why he does not participate in a sport, but to know he is curious enough to explore that path through the internet concerns me. Whatever else has he been dabbling in to feed his curiosity?"

"He's a mystery, dad," Yonji said with a sigh, pulling Sanji's plate to his, and eating what was left. "That kid's a straight up mystery."

By the time Friday came around, Sanji struggled with words. It was after lunch as he made to approach the front office, unsure of how to put the encounter into a passable string of sentences. As he walked in, he saw the man that Law had been with during their classroom fight, standing at the counter, looking miffed. Making split second eye contact with him, Sanji found himself looking off to the side, feeling intimidated. But hearing that the man was only waiting for attendance confirmation, Sanji looked at him again. Ichiji was outside with the others, so it was safe for Sanji to say what was on his mind without being observed.

"Uh…uh, sir?" he sputtered nervously, swallowing the knot in his throat as Smoke looked at him with a frown. "Where's…where's Trafalgar?"

"Better be eating somewhere. Why? What'd you hear, kid?" Smoker asked, frowning at him.

"It's…it's just…I haven't seen him around, i…I was just wondering – "

"You got problems?" Smoker asked him gruffly. Sanji shook his head in response, thinking that Smoker had only meant between them. "That what it is?"

"N-No, I just…I haven't seen him, so I just thought – he was in trouble, or something, because – "

"You're the one he was fighting with that other time, right? You start another fight?" Smoker asked, voice lifting sternly.

"NO. No, well…well, see, my phone – he stole my phone – "

"You got proof?"

"Well… _no_ , but – "

"That sort of accusation can leave a mark," Smoker warned him, taking the slip of paper a secretary passed to him, frowning at Sanji. Smoker glanced at it, then nodded with approval. He thanked her, then looked at Sanji again. "Then _what_?"

"I…well, we had this…this _talk_ , and…at his house, and – "

" _And_?"

"Uh, well, it got heated, and…and we were yelling – "

"Must've been another kid you were fighting with. Trafalgar doesn't yell. He's the type that will suffer in silence before saying anything to anybody. Pisses me off."

Sanji gave him an incredulous expression. _"No,_ he took my phone and group messaged my father, my brothers, some terrible things! Lies!"

"Not Trafalgar. Get a life, kid. Leave this one alone. He barely has his head above water, he doesn't need your kind dragging him back down because you're a little jealous," Smoker said, giving him a frown as he made to leave the office.

" _Jealous_? That's - ! But I haven't seen him since then! When we had that argument, that guy he was living with, he – !"

"Who, Doflamingo? Tall? Short hair? Looks like he's stuck a finger in an electrical socket for fun? What he do?" Smoker asked, suddenly focused on Sanji with an intensity that intimidated the teen. Sanji cleared his throat noisily, unsure why he felt so damn sweaty under that intense glare.

"He…yelled at him, and….he was…there were noises, and – "

"You saying he physically put his hands on him?"

"Y… _Yes_. Yes, he – So I was wondering if he were okay, and – "

"Trafalgar said nothing about it," Smoker said, frowning at him. "If this is true, then I'll need you to meet up with a police officer and fill out a report. I need to investigate this."

"Then – then where is he?"

"Why?"

"Because - ! I heard it happen, and he hasn't been to school since – "

"Doflamingo had already arranged for a trip for the three of them to visit with some family friends out of state. This was prearranged before Trafalgar arrived here. It couldn't be helped that he missed school, but I was assured that he'd taken his homework with him. That day, you heard and witnessed Doflamingo physically abusing Trafalgar?"

Sanji felt a strange sort of relief hearing that. He exhaled heavily, but he went on to say, "He grabbed him and shut the door! Then screamed at him! I didn't know what to think but there was all – there was so much shouting, and - !"

"Doflamingo's brother, Rosinante, tends to shout and throw things. It's part of his affliction. More than likely, you heard him throw a tantrum. Trafalgar said nothing about Doflamingo abusing him, and I just saw the pair of them yesterday. They were fine. If Trafalgar felt someway about his situation, he would be comfortable telling me. So I need a confirmation on whether you saw what you _thought_ you saw, and if you can document this with a police officer, so that I can remove him from that home," Smoker then told Sanji, crossing his arms as he watched the teen shift anxiously from foot to foot. "Can you do that?"

"What…what happens if you do?"

"I will investigate. State rules dictate my actions, but if I don't have the proof I need that Doflamingo physically abused him, then I can't do shit. So if you saw this – "

"I didn't. I only …I only heard it."

Smoker studied him for a few moments, Sanji shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Leave him alone, kid," Smoker then warned. "Your name tends to destroy those around you. This one is having a hard enough time as it is, and you're only making it worse. He's a good kid, and you're a Vinsmoke – these things never work out well for the good guy. You'll do what you can to avoid him."

Sanji glared at him, helpless because his last name _did_ inspire destruction around them. As much as a black sheep he felt struggling to meet his own family's standards, he felt he couldn't fit in with those that weren't associated with them, either. This old man had just affirmed it for him, putting him gently back into place from where he tried to venture out. Smoker then left him, and Sanji stood there, teeth gritting together.

* * *

 **A/N:** After not writing for a bit, I needed something to take the edge off. :D

 **Guest #1:** He kinda did, didn't he? Thanks for the comment and read!

 **DedicatedFan:** Law finally spoke up for himself, but Sanji's not willing to let that type of thing go! He's got three brothers that attack him all the time, he knows how to fight back.

 **Guest #2:** There's a good possibility that the password would be used again! Who changes their password after using it for so long? (I have three of different variations, but they're all the same because I'm old and hate change) All apps could be deleted, but not on the PC, where there's a possibility the same password was used for those accounts, too! This chapter explains how useful it was for the others.

 **Pokipo** : Stood up for himself ;)

 **Sarge1130** : Ah! Thanks for reading and leaving comments as you went! I'm glad this story grabbed your attention! Sanji is blamed for _nearly_ everything; the others know how to get Judge's buttons, and Sanji makes it worse for himself by reacting as he does. Meeting his family's standards really upsets him because he feels he can't do right, no matter how hard he tries, and his family name, even if he tends to abuse it for his use, doesn't help, either. He needs to learn to separate himself from the others, but he hasn't had the support to do so, especially with the lack of friends he has. Sanji is using Law – but Law knows how to fight him, and does so, quietly. Law makes his own schedule – his anxiety caused by his speech forces him to build up courage to approach his classes, so he tends to be late for all of them. But he has the same breaks and lunch as Sanji does. Due to his lack of effort in school, and bad grades due to his tardiness and feelings of failure, he doesn't try very hard, and isn't in any honors classes; he's just there because he was assigned to be there. He shares only one class with Sanji.


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

* * *

It took Law a few minutes before he could actually bring himself to enter the classroom. Hearing Mr Hansen give a lecture made nervousness weigh heavily in the center of his chest; knowing he'd have to walk in front of the full class always made him feel so tense, but lately it had become an even bigger chore than before. He absolutely dreaded the class because of the Vinsmokes. After the phone debacle, he was positive the brothers would gang up on him this time, in defense of their brother. After their car trip to visit with Doflamingo's friends from out of state, Law was exhausted, and he felt close to unraveling, again. He was pretty sure if Sanji continued attacking him over what he'd done to him, Law would end up fighting with him. He couldn't afford to let that happen at this point, but he felt weak; emotionally and mentally.

Doflamingo's warning over the possibility of it happening again after the last time made him ill – he'd punched Law in the back of the head over that incident on the porch, and while Law's head had rung, leaving him with an uncomfortable headache long after that, it wasn't the threat of more physical violence that made him wary of the man; it was being forced away from Rosinante that left him anxious. Physical violence he could handle; the separation scared him the most. Before he'd left for work, Doflamingo had reminded him that fighting at school wasn't something he'd take lightly; Law could still feel those strong fingers around his biceps, where the man had squeezed tightly enough to leave it tender, and he rubbed at that area self-consciously.

He certainly did not regret doing what he had – that kid had tormented him for no other reason than to just be a jerk, so Law felt he was in the right for a type of revenge. Spoiled brats like Sanji had no idea what it felt like walking in Law's shoes; they would not understand what it meant to be hungry, to feel unwanted, and to have the weight of an uncertain future weighing on one's already weary shoulders. So if a little inconvenience like this one hit them, so what if it caused a little discomfort?

Exhaling slowly, he clutched his notebook tight in one hand and finally pushed through the door. Mr Hansen barely glanced up as Law dropped his late slip atop of his desk and found his seat, feeling Sanji glaring at him the entire time. His neck burned where Sanji's eyes settled on him, and he felt the kick on his chair as the teen shoved his desk away from his.

"Your boyfriend's back," he heard Niji comment lightly, Yonji twisting in his chair to grin in their direction.

"Fuck off!" Sanji snarled at him.

"Hey, English! About time! Sanji was feeling extra sad with you gone!" Yonji shouted, as if his voice could be missed amidst Mr Hansen's lecture.

"Shut up, you trashy idiot! Stop talking like that!" Sanji shouted back, rattling his desk, Mr Hansen gruffly calling out warnings to the three of them.

It gave Law little satisfaction to hear their teasing – obviously, they weren't ones to let something like this slide, but he still felt tense because it was still the beginning of the day, and there was time for them to pull something over him. At least he wouldn't feel Sanji kicking his chair every so often, but he still pulled his shoulders forward, his back extra tense while expecting to be stabbed with the kid's pen. He kept an ear on the lecture, not putting effort into taking notes; but every squeak of that chair, every creak of that desk, and every rattling sound that blond brat made made Law jumpy as hell, expecting to be attacked at any moment.

When class ended, Mr Hansen wanted him to stay behind, so Law sat uncomfortably, one ear on the movement behind him, watching the green haired quadruplet grab his things and walk off, laughing and talking loudly to those that were closest to him. It wasn't a merry conversation – he was actively tearing those kids' self-esteem to shreds, mocking them for their looks, their desperation to get him to leave them alone. It sucked that the green giant was taller that most of the kids around him, so the intimidation factor worked in his favor.

Once the classroom emptied, Law approached Mr Hansen, frowning deeply as the male teacher looked over the late slip.

"Why?" Mr Hansen asked.

Law shrugged, fiddling with his notebook.

"Tardiness isn't acceptable, and it can affect your grade. Not that you seem to care about it, but if you're intending on passing this class, this is going to bring you down."

Law shrugged again. He didn't bother explaining why he was late; Doflamingo didn't want him talking about what he had to do, and Law didn't feel that Rosinante should be used as an excuse.

"Look, would you like a seat change? I can change your seat, but I'm warning you now, it probably won't matter. Those kids will still find a way to attack you, even if you're across the room. Try not to be so much of a victim; grow a backbone, stand up to them. _Smartly_ , like the other kids, do," Mr Hansen added, waving him off. "Physical violence will only exacerbate the situation, so maybe just make yourself less of a target. Don't come in late, Monday."

Law wanted to point out that he wasn't much of a teacher if he was only acknowledging what the Vinsmokes were capable of and couldn't control them as an adult, but it wasn't his place to say. He did feel angry at being told that he was an easy 'victim', but maybe he was. Because he lacked confidence, security, and felt too self-conscious over his speech, of course he'd appear as a perfect victim to those like the Vinsmokes. So there wasn't any way he could argue against that; it just felt wrong to be told that by an adult.

Once he left the classroom, he headed to his locker to dig out his text for his next class. He meandered over to it and took his seat, the classroom silent with the teacher's absence. He ended up staring out the window, rubbing his arm, feeling Doflamingo's fingers there, still. As he removed his sweater to examine whether or not any marks had shown up, his stomach rumbled noisily; he was starving. He did see traces of a bruise showing up, but he quickly covered it at the sound of approaching footsteps. He let it go because Doflamingo needed him around, no matter how he treated Law, because he needed someone to look after his brother while he worked. Law felt that, as Doflamingo was their sole provider, Doflamingo was only angry because of their living situation, and it wasn't as if Doflamingo attacked him senselessly. Law felt that he had a good point to make it clear to Law that fights at school meant Smoker would come around, remove him from the home, and Doflamingo had to find another kid to take his place.

He refocused out the window, hoping that Rosinante was doing okay; the man refused to take his medication that morning, and had fought him the entire time, but Law was convinced it was only because Rosinante had been exhausted from the trip, himself. Doflamingo had thought that the trip would perk them both up, but it had only caused more stress; his friends had been kind and compassionate, but because of the man's pride, Doflamingo had ended up tense and angry afterward, hating that people 'felt sorry for them'.

By the time lunch came around, he sneaked back towards the gym area, and sat down against fence behind the baseball field. He lit a cigarette and smoked it while staring off into the distance, thinking about his future. He felt sure Doflamingo would keep him, but he had to convince the man into doing so. He could find a job, but he wasn't sure how well that would work out, unless he found a miracle position that didn't require a car ride, and that kept him from Rosinante for very long. Maybe a weekend position would do, or Doflamingo wouldn't him being absent in the evenings. He would have to bring it up, hoping that Doflamingo would agree to it. Because if the man didn't want him, Law wasn't sure what he was going to do.

Smoker had pressed him to stay in school; there were programs that could assist with him living on his own after his time was up, but his future was still so shaky. He just hadn't any ambitions. Nearly everything required him to speak well, everything required a degree – anxiety made him sick. He'd never imagined he'd wind up this way after Lamie's death, and it felt so unfair; he'd had childish dreams of following in his father's footsteps, but after that, he lost sight of everything.

The bell rang, so he tossed the butt and headed to the library, wanting to look through some of the newest books before he headed to his History class. He was thankful that Ms Nico was very understanding, and had let him know that she didn't mind his tardiness as long as he showed up. He wished there were more people like her; she made him think of his mother, sometimes, how her patience and gentle prodding made him feel comfortable talking whenever she approached him. But thinking of his mother always made him feel rotten; that burning feeling of frustration and hurt hit him again, and he wondered what his parents were thinking, wanting to talk to him after all this time. Did they think things would magically fall back into place now that he was grown, and they had time to live without him? Were they going to judge him for the way he lived now, for how badly his speech problem regressed, for failing classes, for being an 'easy victim'? After thinking of how perfect Lamie had been rendered after her death, he was sure that his parents would be very unhappy with how imperfect he was compared to her ghost.

Bitterness made him frown, and he wandered the shelves while the librarian ignored him; as long as he wasn't causing trouble, already in an understanding with Ms Nico, she let him do as he pleased. He found a book on artic animals, and flipped through that, feeling his mood lift as he viewed the different species located within. By the time he wandered into his History class, Ms Nico was in the midst of her lecture, and she smiled at him as he took his seat. Afterward, during break, she shared with him her Subway sandwich and gave him a can of cold Coke, saying she had 'accidentally' packed extra.

He took a different door out from the school after the last bell, knowing Sanji was probably out looking for him. All around him, kids were talking excitedly about their weekend plans, and he couldn't identify with any of them. He didn't feel like a kid; he felt too old, too weathered to identify with their petty problems and angsty relationships with their peers, so none of it was something he could feel any empathy for. Pretty much everyone ignored him as much as he ignored them; it was only a select few that bothered to give him any attention.

The route he took home was longer because he avoided the roads, wary of seeing that Vinsmoke Buick driving around. He still felt targeted, and warily looked over his shoulder as he crossed through an unfamiliar neighborhood just to come up the backside of his house. Sugar barked at him frantically as he crawled up and over his fence from their neighbor's yard, but calmed down as he called out to her. Letting himself in from the side entrance near the garage, he wandered into the living room, greeting Rosinante with relief. Rosinante greeted him, but he didn't look very well. Law could smell released bowels and vomit, and set immediately to clean him. He noticed that Rosinante felt heavier than he usually did when he hefted him into the tub, and nearly stumbled as he did so, but he thought nothing of it.

Doflamingo called the house to let him know he was coming home late; he wanted to go out drinking with his friends, first. It didn't bother Law, but it was when he started dinner and filled the sink with hot water and soap when his ears started to ring. He thought it was only because he felt so tired that his hands felt clumsy as he listened to Rosinante talk about Spongebob and Patrick.

After serving Rosinante, he sat next to him as he usually did, picking at the eggs and toast, making sure the man ate his share. It wasn't until the middle of his meal when Rosinante started choking, sending Law into a panic as he left his chair and quickly applied the Heimlich to dislodge the egg caught in his throat when that buzzing sound happened again. As Rosinante coughed and hacked, struggling to breathe, Law turned to the sink to wet some napkins, squishing them nearly dry so he could clean the man's chin.

He noticed that the sink water was coming up to him fast, and he reached out to keep it from hitting his face, but his hands only dropped, and his legs buckled when he made to step away, and all he heard was a crunching noise before the kitchen rushed up around his vision.

: :

Sanji was relieved when he pulled up to the house, not seeing the old Cadillac out front. But he was anxious for another reason as he sat in his car, mustering up strength to get out from the driver's side, messenger bag in his lap. His brow was furrowed as he stared out at the house from across the street, just off to the side, nearly hidden by the neighbor's house. He had some papers he wanted Law to look over, wanting this work performed before the weekend started so he could focus on their sporting activities. He was still angry at the other boy; but at the same time, he had a strangely morbid curiosity to do some investigating. He was _still_ affected by the things he'd heard the other day, but he wasn't sure how to sort them out. He wasn't even sure what he was going to do if he found out answers he had yet to acknowledge for himself. Law did not seem hurt in anyway when he came into class, so Sanji wondered if what he'd heard was anything at all. Was this all concern for another human being, or was this only for his grade point average? He couldn't figure it out.

But he knew one thing was certain; coming around here with Doflamingo present wasn't something he wanted to encounter, again. That man was frightening.

Sanji swallowed tightly, looking around himself. He told himself to stop behaving like a wimp, and pushed out from the driver's seat, making his way to the house with determined steps. Sugar was barking frantically from the side of the house, and Sanji could hear shouts – but they were quiet, so he assumed it was only from someone's television set. Sugar noticed him approaching, prancing wildly before darting over to him. She licked and nipped his arm, then raced back around the house, resuming her frantic barks. Sanji made his way up to the front porch and hesitated, feeling angry at himself for being afraid.

He cleared his throat quietly, and wiped his palms on his slacks. He knocked on the door, standing as tall as he could. He waited to hear movement from inside, but Sugar's barking was nearly overpowering. He thought it was odd that she would be doing so, wondering if she only wanted to be fed. He walked to the edge of the porch and leaned over the railing to look at her, seeing that she was barking directly at an open window. She kept leaping, as if she were trying to look inside; Sanji noticed that there were shouts coming from the window, but they were faint, so he still thought it was from their tv. He wandered back to the door and knocked louder, telling himself that Law was only ignoring him. He looked at his watch, then ventured back to the railing because Sugar's barking was so frantic. He felt it was odd behavior for a dog. He jumped over the railing and walked alongside the pathway there, noticing that the screen was missing. He could hear a warbled shout, and the voices of some cartoon coming from the television set. He grew hopeful at that instant – maybe this time, he'd see Law's baby, and prove to the others that he had one. He pushed Sugar away, the dog nipping and jumping on him, and peered cautiously through the window. He saw cartoons on the tv, but there was no one in the living room. He was disappointed, looking for a baby carrier of some kind, but then as he stood there, he realized that the shouts were coming from further within the house. He was fairly certain that it was that man – the one Law was taking care of.

Alarm raced through him, because that man sounded scared, hoarse words alternating from 'help!' to 'Law!' Sanji pushed at the window, but it wouldn't budge – he thought there was a lock on it, and he banged on it, calling out, "Hello?"

That man stopped shouting, and Sanji repeated himself. He was given a relieved noise, then a frantic, "Help! Help me! _Help me_!"

Sanji pushed at the window again, Sugar barking and jumping high, as if trying to make her way in herself. Certain that he couldn't fit through that open space, nor budge it any further, he hurried around the house, Sugar following him for a moment before returning to the window. She raced back and forth as Sanji looked for a door, finding one near the garage that opened upon prompting. She followed him inside briefly before racing away again, still barking incessantly. Making his way towards the other door, Sanji found it locked. No matter how much he pushed at it, it wouldn't budge. He thought of how three separate locks were used on the front door, and wondered if this was done in the same manner. Scanning the garage, he saw nothing but storage boxes, junk, odds and ends placed against the walls, an old boxing bag. Bracing himself, he placed a foot just above the knob, aiming carefully before kicking. The door budged slightly, wood splintering, so he kicked again, and this time, the door swung open with a heavy creak, exposing a narrow hallway. He hurried in, wincing at the smell that hit him. He was pretty sure that it was a combination of piss and shit, with some vomit mixed in, and it was a horrendous smell that should never be mixed together. He coughed in his arm, eyes watering. He made his way to where the shouts came from, peering into the kitchen and seeing that man sitting on the floor, looking helplessly panicked. It seemed he'd left the table in a clumsy haste, spilling a plate full of food, milk, chair overturned, but in a reaching gesture. All around him was faintly steaming water, pooling in various areas.

That man was then pointing away from him, Sanji looking over to see the sink overflowing, Law laying in an uncomfortable position against the cabinets. For a moment, Sanji wondered if he were dead – but he quickly lunged forward to turn off the faucet, wincing at the steam wafting up from the full sink. He grabbed hold of Law by his sweater and yanked hard to pull him away from the pool of hot water on the floor. That man reached out and pulled on Law, too, both of them moving closer to the table to escape the worst of the water damage. Now that he was on his back, Sanji could see that Law's lower face was bloodied, his nose unusually swollen and slightly tilted upward in the center.

It was frightening to see his classmate like this; he looked _dead_ to Sanji, and Sanji didn't know what to do. Once again thrust into a situation he had no experience with, he froze, feeling hot water creep up the hem of his pants, forcing them to cling to his legs. He then pulled his bag around to grab his phone, but Law started to come around then, uttering a long, wordless sound that ventured into incoherent noises as he tried to speak. Sanji pushed his bag away, watching the older teen's eyes flutter, and it was such a ghastly sight to see him so frail and uncoordinated, bloodied over his nose and face that he froze all over again.

Seconds passed, and that man pulled at Law, calling his name with a heavy tongue, gently patting his face. He attempted to move Law out of the water, but since the kitchen was pooled with hot water, there was no escaping it. Sanji made to call '911' again when Law recognized him, caught sight of his action, and grabbed the phone from his hand. .

" _Don't_!" both of them said in unison; Sanji as he watched Law place the phone in water, and Law to stop him from calling out. Sanji snatched his phone up, wiping it frantically as Law made to push himself up into a seated position, reaching up to touch his face. Once he saw Rosinante on the floor, he gave a horrified sound, moving to pick him up when he realized there was water everywhere. Rattled, he looked around himself with bewilderment, unsure of what happened. Sanji shoved his phone back into his bag, and set to pick up Rosinante, but the man shoved him away with an embarrassed noise.

" _Stop_! Obviously he's dying, you think he can pick you up? Just let me do it!" Sanji snapped. Rosinante looked back at Law with understanding, before allowing the teen to do so. Law made to get up, but he felt like shit, holding his nose with one hand, unsure of what happened. Sanji struggled to get the man into his chair – it was a near impossible task, considering how uncoordinated he was, how weak he felt. Once he was sure Rosinante was settled, the man worriedly calling Law's name to keep his attention, Sanji then turned and looked at Law.

"Are you dead?" he asked cautiously, Law frowning at him.

After a few moments, he demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't _yell_ at me after I saved your life!" Sanji exclaimed. "Don't you _dare_! I'm calling the cops - !"

"No, _don't_! It's fine. I must've…tripped?" Law wasn't sure what happened, unable to remember how he went from A to B. He attempted to wipe his nose, but he felt the deformation there, wincing, breathing hard as he registered the damage. He then sat there, stunned, dripping blood onto the watery floor beneath him.

Sanji stared at him, understanding that the older teen was disoriented. There was enough concussions and sports-related injury in his family, between all of them, that made him feel that Law would be okay. He'd seen enough broken bones, cartilage, sprains and tears to know what each one was, and how serious it was. This was a startling injury, but he knew it only needed adjustment.

"Here, this happens a lot," he said gruffly, crouching in front of him, fingers pressed up against his nose. Law jerked away in reaction, Sanji grabbing him by his soaked sweater to pull him back. "Knock it off! Stop being such a fucking baby! I know how to fix this. It's either this, or you can go to the hospital."

"How do I know you're not going to just - !"

"I have three stupid brothers that have broken possibly everything that is to break, and then some," Sanji muttered reluctantly. " _I_ haven't, personally, but I know how these things work. If Yonji isn't having his nose busted in baseball, then Niji has his busted in some stupid hoverboard accident. Ichiji had his broken twice, followed by plastic surgery – but he still needs it reset from time to time. They sometimes come to me if they don't feel like going in, and they're fine."

Law still didn't trust him, but he did trust those stories. The three of them were very involved in physical activities – he knew because they were either bragging or complaining very loudly about it – and it occurred to him that Sanji never included himself in those things. He looked at Rosinante, who looked at him with a terribly upset expression, eyes watery red. Whatever happened, Law regretted that it happened in front of him. But bringing it to law enforcement's attention, to the hospital, to Smoker's notice – it threatened his position, here. It would be difficult to explain, so he had to come up with something.

He grew aware of Sugar's barking.

He looked at Sanji nervously, and Sanji read it as a confirmation. With his fingers pressed up against Law's nose, he made a face as he straightened out the cartilage, the uncomfortable crackling ringing out in the silence. Law cursed and made to jerk away as the unnatural movement caused him discomfort, but Sanji looked satisfied. He then removed his sweater, shoving it up against Law's nose as it resumed bleeding.

"Don't touch it!" he warned, going to the fridge for ice. He heard Law attempting to rise, water sloshing as he did so. He looked over his shoulder as he grabbed ice, seeing how wobbly he moved, still disoriented as he reached out for the table for support. Rosinante was very upset as he reached for him, guiding him to sit next to him, looking at Law with so much concern and worry that Sanji looked away. He packed ice into a rag he found in a drawer and brought it over to Law. Then he opened his bag, rummaging for the pill bottle he kept there, rustling up a set of four. "Here. Take two of these. It'll help with the swelling and the pain. Take the other two in the morning."

When Law removed the sweater to do so, Sanji looked over his work. His nose was swollen, but it did not look crooked or dented. The cartilage would only need time to heal. Rosinante was patting Law on the back, shoulders, murmuring soft words while crying silently.

"Why can't I call for an ambulance?" Sanji then asked impatiently.

"They charge thousands just to drop me off, and there's another thousand in it to be seen," Law muttered bitterly. "Besides, _nothing_ happened."

"Then _what_ happened?"

Law shrugged, because he really didn't know.

"He's tired," Rosinante explained patiently, sniffling noisily. "He's just tired, and run down, and I take up all the food, and he gets none - !"

"That's not true," Law interrupted. "That's not true at all. Don't say that. I might've just had low blood sugar. I didn't have any candy, today."

"Your friends didn't have any candy?" Rosinante asked with concern.

"What ' _friends'_ \- ?" Sanji made to ask before Law shot him a furious look. Because he knew that signal very well, Sanji found himself automatically obeying it, then looking pissed because he did so. He stated gruffly, "So you fainted?"

"I…I guess so," Law answered reluctantly. "I don't remember…"

"What if you're diabetic? What if you're in some sort of shock? What if you _die_ later on because you didn't get treated?"

"Why are you so dramatic? I don't need a hospital if you'd just fixed my nose."

Sanji wondered if that were true; then remembered that his real father worked in one. He had the thought that Law refused to go because he'd run into his father, which only raised more questions within him as to why Law wasn't with his parents. But there was one thing he understood; he knew what it was like to want to hide something from a parent. This entire situation didn't make sense to him, but he felt he could identify with that. If Law were removed because of violent circumstances, then what if his father was something worse than Doflamingo? Suddenly, he realized why Law was so reluctant to go, but it didn't make Sanji feel any better.

Looking around himself, Sanji went looking for a mop, then proceeded to clean up the floor. After that was done, he began cleaning the rest of the dishes. He noticed that there weren't very many, which made him look over to the stove with curiosity. There was only a small carton of eggs sitting nearby, and cheap wheat toast. Which made him look at the contents of the counter. He abandoned the sink and investigated the fridge, and was shocked to see only a carton of milk sitting there, along with a few slices of processed cheese, and what looked to be leftovers from the mini-mart. It was shocking to see an actual fridge with nothing in it, compared to his own. He shut it and returned to the sink, feeling dazed.

Quite frankly, he wasn't sure _what_ he was doing; it was only natural action to jump in and start cleaning. Plus, he was shaken up, inside. He was a little scared because what if he'd arrived after Doflamingo left? What if that man had done something to Law before leaving? What if he were coming back?

At that, Sanji froze in mid-swipe, heart starting to race. He looked over at the pair, Rosinante still crying silently, but his arm was slung around Law's shoulders, and Law was leaning against him, still looking rattled. Sanji felt an unexpected sensation in him upon seeing that. Clearly, that man cared immensely for his teenage caretaker; it roused strange feelings in Sanji, because that type of affection was something he'd only seen in his mother, and he suddenly missed her terribly.

He finished cleaning, unsure of why he was even doing it at all. This wasn't _his_ house. This wasn't _his_ problem. He had things he needed to do, and - ! He gasped, looking at his watch, realizing he had missed messages from his brothers. He set aside the mop, flung the rag back into the sink and raced out from the front door without saying anything, digging the car keys from his pocket. Aware that his slacks were still wet, he had blood on his shirt, he remembered belatedly that he'd forgotten his sweater, but he had no time to go back and get it. He just jumped into the car and took off – moving safely, considering he only had a permit, and he couldn't risk being stopped for his poor timing. His hands were shaking as they clutched the steering wheel – once again, he was leaving that place feeling scared and helpless, and _it was all that guy's fault_.

* * *

 **Guest:** That's awesome! What a comparison, you've flattered me terribly with that reference! It is a little like that, here, and I'm just – blushing with pleasure. :D Thank you for that! What a joy!Thank you for the catch - you're right, Doffy should've been answering the 'door', not the phone DX I fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out! I miss these things, and catch them only sometime later, so it's really helpful if peeps can bring it immediately to my attention. Thanks again! Both of these guys have very real similarities, but they are too much into their roles to even know it – little do they know how much in common they have if they'd just venture out from their boundaries. Hopefully this chapter – written in an emo-tastic moment of my own – brings this out. Here's where it gets a little more intense for both of them, and opens their eyes a little. The characters in the background are there for a reason – it's just Law's and Sanji's story, right now. The others will come into place a little later. Luffy is in the background, and Sanji will rub him wrong one day if he keeps it up. As for A03, I did try it out for a bit; but it seemed like I had more of an audience here. All I heard were crickets from that side of the fanfic world.


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

* * *

Sanji was seated in his room, tapping away on his assignment when Ichiji let himself in, removing his glasses as he did so. Sanji frowned at him, blinking repeatedly as the feeling of dryness registered in his eyes. He could hear Yonji yelling at the television set, Niji talking to their father near the stairway, complaining about a continued soreness in his ribs.

"Why did you pick us up in such a state, tonight?" Ichiji asked curiously, looking around Sanji's room with a bored expression. "You were trying to hide the fact that your pants were wet, you had blood on your shirt– and where is the sweater you were wearing? You were so disheveled, I'd wondered if I should've brought it up in front of father, but maybe I should just ask you, first."

"Someone mouthed off to me at Starbucks, so I showed him a thing or two," Sanji said on a huff, returning to his essay. "As you can see, I'm kind of busy…"

"Where do you go if you're not waiting for us?" Ichiji then asked, piercing him with a stare. " _Now_ I'm curious as to why you pick us up late, and why you're so rattled when you do. This isn't the first time you've done so."

"Dad! Ichiji's bothering me!" Sanji called out, hitting the 'delete' button furiously.

"Snitches get stitches and tossed into ditches!" Niji returned, running up the stairway towards his room.

"Dad! Niji's bothering me!" Sanji yelled, Ichiji 'hmphing' as he stood stubbornly aside of him, Niji waltzing in with a curious sniff.

"What are we talking about, in here?" Niji asked curiously, throwing himself onto Sanji's bed, pulling out his phone.

" _DAD_!"

"Inside voices, please," Sanji heard Judge say, shuffling off to another room downstairs. With irritation, he ground his teeth and glared back at his older brothers, Ichiji frowning down at him.

"I was only asking Sanji why he picked us up with wet pants," Ichiji said to Niji.

"Sanji's always wet the bed," Niji muttered, swiping through his phone, one leg atop of the other. Ichiji frowned at him, noting that Niji was quite comfortable laying in said bed. "Why? Is there something happening that I should know about?"

"He said he got into an altercation at a Starbucks, but yet, he didn't come back with a cup."

"Enough with the detective work! Get out of my room! I'm trying to finish my homework!" Sanji snapped at both of them, Ichiji reaching out and pushing his head aside. " _Get out_!"

"Dad! Sanji's yelling at us for no reason!" Niji called out lazily, the three of them hearing Judge shout out Sanji's name impatiently. Moments later, Yonji noisily climbed the stairs, Sanji sighing heavily with impatience.

" _GET OUT OF MY ROOM_!" he hissed as Yonji sauntered in with a curious look around.

"What are we talking about, guys?" Yonji asked.

"Where Sanji goes after he's dropped us off at practice," Niji supplied. "Apparently, Ichi thinks he's up to no good."

"I thought he was hanging out with one of you guys when we did," Yonji said with a confused look.

"So did I!"

"I don't have to hang out and wait for you guys all the time! I go out and do my own thing while I wait!" Sanji explained, closing his laptop. "Get out!"

"No, wait, what _do_ you do? Do you go to a friend's house?" Yonji asked, furrowing his brow.

"I don't have friends!"

"If he did, they're probably as gay as he is," Niji said with a mean laugh.

"I do not!" Sanji shouted at him.

"Aw, don't say you don't have friends….you have us," Yonji said, blinking repeatedly. "We're all the friends you need."

" _I don't want you as friends_!"

"Sanji, stop your goddamn yelling!" Judge shouted from downstairs, causing Sanji to sigh again with impatience, drawing his hands over his face as the others snickered.

" _Inside_ voice," Niji whispered to him, indicating his own voice.

"It doesn't matter what I do, just as long as I'm there to pick you up when you call for it!" Sanji insisted on a loud whisper.

"But what if you're out there, dealing drugs and getting wasted with the bad kids at school?" Yonji asked in the same tone, looking concerned. "If dad finds out you've been up to no good, he's going to be so mad! He's going to spank you."

"I'm not doing any of that!"

"Are you going shopping?" Niji asked, following their level before snickering. "Are you shopping for boys, fag?"

"NO!"

"Oh my god, he probably has a boyfriend he's seeing!" Yonji gasped, still on a whisper.

"I DO NOT! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Sanji exclaimed as loud as he dared at whispering volume.

"Why are we whispering?" Ichiji demanded crankily, speaking normally.

"Wait, you can't have a boyfriend," Yonji continued, still whispering at loud volume. "We're not allowed to have girlfriends until we're out of high school. That's what dad said, that's the rule. _We can't_. So, even _if_ it's a boy, Sanji, you can't have one. That's not fair. If you get one, we can, too!"

"Yeah, asshole, that's not fair!" Niji seconded, whispering just as loud as Ichiji rolled his eyes with exasperation, Sanji rising from his desk chair to face them. "It doesn't matter if you're a goddamn fag, you can't have one! We all get to have one if you do!"

"I'd want mine to be a girl, though," Yonji told Niji, who looked at him with a start.

"That's what I meant!"

"No, it sounded like you said we all get to have a boyfriend, because that's what we were just talking about. I'm just clarifying my situation, just in case anyone gets the wrong impression that I want a boy rather than a girl."

"I'm saying _none_ of us can have anybody!" Niji hissed at him, red-faced. He punched Yonji in the arm, Yonji gasping and rubbing that area with a pained expression. " _None_ of us can have either a boyfriend, or girlfriend!"

" _Sanji_!" Yonji scolded, still whispering.

"I didn't say or do anything!" Sanji hissed at normal volume, the pair of them shushing him noisily. He reached out and grabbed Niji, dragging him off the bed roughly. As Niji hit the floor with a startled sound, Sanji exclaimed, "Get out of my room!"

"Stop rough housing in the house!" Judge shouted from the stairway, marching up. The boys all scrambled to run out from Sanji's room, Sanji huffing as they abandoned him. He sat back down at his desk and opened his laptop to start work again when Judge swept past his doorway, catching sight of Yonji trying to kick Niji out from the bathroom, the resulting argument drawing attention away from him.

He hunched his shoulders, resuming typing, hearing Yonji and Niji argue over who went first. He was relieved for the distraction, but he fretted over Ichiji's observations. It looked like his older brother, for no other reason than to just be a snitch, was paying more attention to him than Sanji thought. It was irritating that Ichiji chose to do so, considering that Ichiji looked down on Sanji, but Sanji figured it would be all right. After all, he didn't plan on going over to Law's any time soon.

Today's incident was just too…frightening. He stopped typing, staring at the cursor that blinked at him. He thought of their fridge, which had only a few things in it; compared to theirs, which was stuffed full. Multiple containers of milk, water, vegetables, eggs, different varieties of cheeses, leftover containers, sports drinks, condiments, etc. Their cabinets were full of different boxes, pasta, carbohydrates, jars, and when he thought of Judge forcing him to through away an entire meal when those two could have feasted on those things…it made Sanji feel oddly pained, inside. It made sense, now, seeing Law eat things out from the trash.

He felt uncomfortable with the feeling he had thinking about it. He wasn't sure how to identify it, what to do with it. All he knew was that it was painful to think about. He looked at his hands, his fingers wiggling slightly as they remembered the sensation of resetting Law's nose. Really, he couldn't think of a time where he'd touched someone other than his brothers, other than to administer a kick or shove. Was it okay to remember that sort of thing?

He wiped his hands on his jeans with discomfort, frowning. Really, he was giving the situation too much thought. He should just focus on his work, on this weekend, and not give that pair another thought.

But he thought of Rosinante being the one to own those diapers; it was quite evident that Law did not have a baby, and Sanji was quite disappointed with that.

: :

Over the weekend, he followed his siblings around to their various activities. It wasn't something he wanted to do, but his father forced him along so that he could be supportive. It just gave him a sore backside from sitting for so long, and he didn't see the appeal of any of their efforts. Ichiji won his weight class and displayed a new medal; Sanji took pictures so Ichiji could post to his Facebook, and their dad could show it off to his friends. While their seasons weren't official, Niji placed first during an individuals swimming competition, and Sanji took a picture of him and their dad for the same reasons as Ichiji's. The same happened for Yonji; Saturday night had them in a restaurant, all of them celebrating the day's wins, Sanji sitting at the table with a bored expression. He didn't have anything to contribute, so he let his brothers speak over each other and listened to their father's praises, bragging to anybody unfortunate enough to be drawn into the noise over his sons' accomplishments.

He stared down at his plate, full of things that didn't taste good. He wanted homecooked food, something he made; everything tasted so dull and flat, and while it was colorful, it just didn't have the same taste as it would if he made it. He picked at his meatloaf, separating vegetables from it, mashing it into colorful paste. He found himself wondering if Law and Rosinante were eating okay, and if Doflamingo had come home. If they would get groceries – surely it was only a one time thing for their kitchen to be so empty, and Sanji felt himself cheer up at the thought. He looked down at his plate and wondered what Law had been eating the night they'd seen him at the restaurant weeks ago. Now that Sanji was more aware of the situation, it made sense that Rosinante was staring off into space while his caretaker slouched next to him, doing nothing. Sanji wondered if Law had even eaten, then. He didn't recall seeing a plate in front of him, but since they were at a restaurant, maybe his plate had been taken away.

Once again, Sanji wondered why Law wasn't with his natural parents.

: :

That Monday morning, he waited anxiously for Law to appear in class. He chewed on his thumbnail, jiggling his knee as he watched the doorway. Surprisingly, Law wandered in before the last bell rang, both eyes noticeably bruised, nose still swollen. Yonji's mouth dropped open at the sight of him, several other kids looking at Law with curiosity as he made his way to his chair, ignoring all of them. Mr Hansen performed a double take, looking after him with suspicion before looking at Sanji, who was too busy watching Law to notice this.

Sanji watched Law sit, strumming with nervous energy as he wondered what to say first. Law hadn't acknowledged him, sitting as he normally did, and Sanji stared at the back of his head, struggling to come up with something to say. None of the usual popped in mind, so he made a frustrated face, not noticing the way the kids around them looked at Sanji suspiciously.

Yonji twisted in his seat to openly stare at Law. "What happened to your face?" he asked. "Did you get nose surgery?"

"Face forward, Vinsmoke," Mr Hansen said, starting the class as the last bell rung. He launched into a lecture as Yonji looked at Sanji suspiciously, indicating that he was watching him. Once Sanji caught the gesture, he looked annoyed, sitting back in his chair with a kick. He caught sight of two of the boys sitting nearest them glaring at him, and he frowned at them.

As the bell rang to signal the end of class, Sanji leaned forward in his desk to jab Law with his pen.

"Hey," he started to say when the boy next to Law stood up, swinging his backpack on.

"You're such a jerk, Sanji," he said bitterly, Sanji distracted from Law as he looked at him with surprise.

"Shut up, this has nothing to do with you!" he snapped at him, Law gathering his notebook and pen together, getting up to walk out without saying anything.

"Did you do that? You think you're such big stuff, don't you?"

"Ooh, _fight_! _Fight_!" Niji snickered from his desk, watching with amusement. "What say you to that, little brother?"

"I didn't do anything! I didn't do that!" Sanji exclaimed, finally noticing that others were glaring at him. " _Oh my god_ , I _didn't_ do that!"

"You're a fuckin' liar!" Yonji laughed from the front of the class. "Guess it makes sense, now, what you been up to! You big bully!"

"Shut up, I didn't do that! He - !" Sanji cut himself off, not wanting to give himself away. He hastily gathered his things as he realized that the two boys standing there looked a little intimidating.

"Did you guys have a misunderstanding?" Niji asked, gathering his stuff together. "Hey, is that what Ichiji was talking about the other night? Why you had blood on your clothes?"

Sanji paused in mid-stuff, looking at him with a frown. "It wasn't what you think. He…"

"What's your problem? He didn't do anything to you! You keep picking on him, constantly, following him and all that! I'm tired of seeing you do that! You've gone too far, this time!" the boy snapped, setting his bag down, Sanji looking at him with a start. But his friend pulled back on him, Mr Hansen looking over with interest.

"Ha ha!" Niji laughed loudly. "English has a fan club!"

Finished stuffing his things into his bag, Sanji gave the two boys a frown, and then hurried out from the class. Not that he was intimidated by the boy in anyway, but he was irritated with the accusation that he'd been the one behind the wound, and he was caught off guard with his own reaction. He headed to his locker, leaving behind Yonji and Niji as they continued calling after him. Frustrated, he exchanged his texts, slamming his locker shut so he could hurry to the cafeteria to buy something with some caffeine in it.

At lunchtime, he couldn't find Law anywhere to ask him about his nose, and it continuously irritated Sanji once he noticed that the boy – _what was his name_? – pointing him out and saying something to his friends that had all of them glaring at him. He felt like he was being targeted, and, to make it worse, Niji and Yonji had told Ichiji what had happened, which caused a brief scolding from the eldest Vinsmoke in the parking lot. He knew he couldn't tell his brothers the real story because that meant giving away what he was doing while they were at practice, and he felt unfairly targeted by the other students once theories began racing through the population over Law's appearance.

Ichiji had been right; because Sanji had been picking on Law the most, everyone assumed the worst of the situation.

In a bitter mood, Sanji left the parking lot and headed towards his locker, striding through the quad with his hands in his pockets. He felt something hard bounce off his head halfway there, and stumbled, reaching up to rub the point of impact as he turned to see what had hit him. He was startled to seeing his junior facing off with him, looking pissed.

"I don't care if you pick on me, but picking on others who don't know how to fight back pisses me off!"

"Stupid Monkey!" Sanji snapped, turning to face him, seeing that it was a bottle of soda that had been thrown at him. "What's your fucking problem? Did you throw that?"

"There's no point picking on someone who doesn't want to fight back! You want a fight, you pick it with someone that'll be more than willing to fight back!" Luffy snapped at him, stalking towards him, even as his friends pulled at his arms. Sanji noticed that the other boys from first period was part of that group, and they all looked like they wanted to administer justice themselves. Outnumbered, Sanji turned and hurried towards the school, hearing Luffy yell after him.

Upset with the unfair accusations, Sanji didn't return to his locker; he went straight for the library, knowing he'd catch Law there. Sure enough, the older student was flipping through a book, yawning carefully.

"Your stupid fan club has the wrong idea!" Sanji snapped at him, startling Law as he looked up. "Get them off my back!"

"What?" Law asked, looking up at him with a clueless expression.

"I didn't even do anything to you, but everyone thinks _I_ did that to you! Get them off my back!"

"… _What_?" Law repeated, looking bewildered.

"That stupid Monkey and those guys from first period! They're telling everyone _I_ did this to you!" Sanji exclaimed, gesturing at him.

Law continued to look puzzled. "But you had nothing to do with it."

"I know! Tell them that!"

"I don't even know who you're talking about – "

"Those guys that sit next to you! They're starting it!"

"I don't even talk to them…"

" _Tell them_!" Sanji exclaimed, the librarian approaching them with a frown. But Sanji turned and headed out before she could say anything, Law looking after him with puzzlement. Absolutely unaware of what was happening, Law only looked at his book with a frown, unsure of what to say.

For the rest of the day, Sanji was uneasy. It seemed as if everyone were glaring at him, whispering amongst themselves as they stared at him, and he couldn't believe that they were targeting him for this. How could someone as quiet and reclusive as Law was earn such respect from those around him without doing a thing? _It was so unfair_. Then again, after everything Sanji did to them, it would make sense that they'd feel such animosity towards him; but on Law's behalf?

After school, he headed towards the parking lot, spying Ichiji reading at the same table he normally did. He tossed his bag atop of the table, digging out his cigarettes. Ichiji frowned up at him, then looked beyond him, using his chin to indicate that he look behind him.

" _Now_ what'd you do?" he asked with disapproval, Sanji turning to seeing Luffy marching over towards him, Ussop once again begging him to reconsider his actions. There was a small group following after him, cellphones out, everyone wearing eager expressions. "Dad's going to be pissed if you get into another fight. You better win, too. I'm not going to interfere in any way, because it's not my problem."

"I didn't even do anything!" Sanji protested, setting his cigarettes aside. Ichiji didn't bother moving as Sanji faced Luffy, who looked up at him with the same expression he had earlier.

"Let's settle this right here, jerk-off!" Luffy snapped at him, tossing his backpack aside. "Like I said earlier, I'm more than willing to fight if you're looking for one!"

"I didn't have anything to do with that!" Sanji exclaimed. "Go talk to him about it!"

"Yeah, right, everyone knows you pick on him because he won't talk back!"

"It's true, I give him a lot of shit, but I had nothing to do with this! But if you want to fight, then let's go. _I'm here_."

"You stay out of this!" Luffy warned Ichiji, who hadn't bothered to move from the table.

"This is not my concern," Ichiji reassured him, picking up his book. "Carry on."

A little confused that Sanji's own brother wouldn't step in to interfere, Luffy watched Ichiji for a few moments. Then he faced Sanji with determination, fists balled. Sanji faced him, thinking it'd be easy because Luffy was smaller than him, and he wasn't about to lose this fight after the last incident.

"Excuse me, pardon me, I'm coming through," Ms Nico said cheerily, appearing out of the group of students, most of whom hastily took off, the teacher's interruption causing them to scramble. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was only on my way to my car."

"Next time, then," Luffy said, allowing Ussop to drag him away, Sanji looking after them with a hard exhale. Ms Nico continued on to her vehicle without a look back, most of the students scattering to routes home.

Sanji turned back to the table, wearing a stubborn frown as he grabbed his cigarettes. Ichiji snorted, adjusting his glasses.

"Saved by the teacher," he commented lightly.

"Shut up. I don't know why they're blaming me for this shit. I didn't do anything to that kid."

"It sounds like you know what happened, though. You never did say why you were the way you were that night. You didn't answer my question."

"I told you what happened! And – and I don't know what happened to him! It's none of my business, I don't care!"

"God, can't you talk normally? Why are you always yelling?" Ichiji complained, turning a page.

"Because no one listens to me when I speak," Sanji complained, lighting up. He sat on the other end of the table, staring morosely at the ground. "They're all stupid. Wanting to step in on his behalf…what'd he ever do for them?"

"He isn't a whiny jerk, that's for sure."

Sanji rolled his eyes, blowing smoke into the air. Ichiji glanced at him from atop of his book, noting his expression.

"Don't think this is the end of it," Ichiji then warned. "That kid has it out for you. Those D boys, I told you guys, they're like that. If you don't want your ass kicked, make up for whatever transgression you did."

"I didn't do anything, so I don't have to fix anything."

" _Right_. Well…don't bring any more shame to the family," Ichiji muttered, turning the page. "You're the only one that's getting his ass kicked for the shit you do, so step it up."

"Why don't you believe me? Why can't you support me?"

"Why should I? You're the dumb ass that started this in the first place!"

"But I didn't do anything!"

"I don't know that!"

Huffing, Sanji glared out at the parking lot, holding his cigarette to the side. While he wasn't afraid of Luffy and his little gang of crimefighters, he was annoyed Law wasn't saying anything to stop the harassment. At the same time, he couldn't say anything about it, lest he gave up the real story.

He wasn't going to do that.

: :

Tuesday morning, Law lingered in the locker room, hearing his classmates file out to the gym in full uniform. Garp was yelling up a storm about everyone being late, and while he didn't do attendance, he did throw a fit whenever anyone showed up late. Law waited until the last boy left the locker room, then wandered over to the bathroom stalls. He changed into his uniform there and returned to the locker room.

He opened up a couple of lockers, rummaged through bags and jackets until he found some cash, and pocketed what he found. He then wandered back to the bathroom and looked into the mirror above the sink, frowning at the sight of his face. The swelling hadn't subsided, and he felt like sneezing most of the time. His eyes weren't so swollen, but they were colored darkly underneath, adding to his eyebags.

Doflamingo had yelled at him that night, upset over the injury, over what it meant to him. He'd left them alone for the rest of that weekend, just to make sure that no one could say that he'd done this. He was able to find a friend to fix the door Sanji had kicked down, demanding a reason behind it – but Rosinante had an excuse ready for it. Doflamingo had been pissed, but he hadn't pushed the issue, especially when Rosinante cursed him out for yelling at Law unnecessarily.

Wrinkling his nose lightly, Law paused to sneeze, holding his breath before it could happen. Then he thought about Sanji's flustered approach yesterday, bewildered as to _whom_ would want to speak up on his behalf. Not like he asked for it, but Law wondered why anybody would even want to when he ignored pretty much everyone around him. It sounded like trouble Sanji had caused himself, and Law didn't feel any need to interfere, or do as he'd asked. He didn't ask for help.

He eventually wandered into the gym, Garp yelling at him for his late appearance, but Law said nothing in response. They were playing volleyball today, and Garp noticed his face, so he directed him to sit out. Glad he didn't have to participate, Law sat at the end of the bleachers and watched kids play half heartedly against each other, the PE teacher occasionally joining in before he fell asleep at the sidelines in mid-yell.

He startled when Sanji stomped onto the bleachers from the side door, glaring at him.

"Did you talk to those kids?" he demanded, standing over Law.

"No," Law answered, frowning at him.

"Talk to them! They've been harassing me all morning over you!"

"I didn't ask them too."

"Then ask them NOT to!"

"I don't even know who they are, why should I?"

"Because _you're_ the jerk that inspired them, too! It's that stupid Monkey kid, and his gang of friends! _Plus_ those two jerks you sit next to in first period!"

Law shrugged, unable to understand why they'd want to. He gave Sanji a wary look, leaning slightly to the side to avoid the kid's balled fists. Sanji looked ready to unleash something on him, and Law was apprehensive of anybody that looked ready to swing.

" _Listen_ ," Sanji said, leaning in towards him, lowering his voice to do so while glaring mightily at him. Law continued leaning away from him, tense, watching his hands. Defensively, he held up an arm to keep anything from hitting his face, feeling a sneeze build up as he did so. "You get those guys off my back, or I'll tell that social worker of yours what _might've_ happened. After all, I wasn't there when it happened, so I don't know if that retard did it, or that Doflamingo guy. Got it?"

Glaring at him, Law felt his jaw clench. The thought of Smoker visiting him at this time made it difficult to think that the social worker would let it go, this time. At the same time, he was infuriated that Sanji would refer to Rosinante as such. Why anyone would want to step in on his behalf bewildered Law, as well.

"Whatever," he muttered bitterly.

"' _Whatever_ , _whatever'_ ," Sanji mimicked him, straightening away. "Just do it, asshole! And fix your fucking hair! For fuck's sake, put effort into yourself!"

Sullenly watching the teen leave the gym with a bang of the door – causing Garp to wake up – Law exhaled heavily as he relaxed. He glared down at the bleachers, settling his shaking fingers underneath his thighs. It wasn't the threat of violence that had made him wary of Sanji – it was his threats of exposure to Smoker. But Law figured this was agreeable; after all, Sanji _did_ help him that day, and he didn't have to. He figured this was the right thing to do. The thought of approaching anybody made him sweat, through.

At lunch, instead of taking to his usual spot in the baseball field, Law reluctantly went searching for this 'Monkey' kid. He wasn't even sure who that was, considering he didn't learn the names of those around him. He didn't even know the names of the boys that sat next to him in first period. Wandering around, ignoring the growling of his stomach, he did wander through the quad's edges, listening for any sign of the name, for those boys. He was alerted to the sight of some kids running to the parking lot, and since it looked like kids were moving from their cars to the edge, he was curious to know what was happening.

Once he got there, he saw a short kid with black hair atop of Sanji, beating him into the concrete with other kids yelling and hollering around them. Law saw that Sanji's brothers were watching from the side, laughing hysterically, but doing nothing to interfere. He frowned, figuring that it was too late to approach, but his conscience did sting a bit. He didn't ask for that kid's help, having no idea who he was in the first place, but Law did think that Sanji would follow through with his threat to go to Smoker about the incident. He looked at the other Vinsmokes, a little curious as to why they weren't stepping in to help Sanji. After all, he was getting a good beating – that Monkey kid was a pretty savage fighter for someone of his size.

Exhaling shortly, Law walked forward, burning with rising embarrassment because some kids noticed him approaching. He reached in and jerked Luffy off of Sanji, shoving him aside. Luffy made to punch him, thinking that he was one of Sanji's brothers, and Law kicked him just to put distance between them. Everyone was stunned silent by the action, Luffy looking up at him with surprise. Law then helped Sanji up from the pavement, but Sanji tossed his hand away and stomped off, wiping his bloodied nose.

"Yay! English saved his girlfriend! My hero!" Yonji shouted in a high falsetto, arms raised.

"What an embarrassment!" Niji shouted after his own brother. "Walk your ass home after this!"

"What'd you do that for?" Luffy demanded of Law, breathing heavily as he rubbed his stomach, where Law's foot had landed. " _He's_ the one picking on you!"

"I never asked for your help, fuck off," Law told him, before turning and walking off in the opposite direction. Everyone was giving him stunned looks for what he'd done and said to Luffy, who looked perplexed as he continued sitting on the pavement. Law noticed in his haste to walk away that there were teachers around, but they hadn't done anything to stop the fight. They looked confused by Law's gesture as well, unsure of how to react.

Ichiji wrinkled his forehead, unable to understand the switch of dynamics in the scene before him. Luffy was still sitting there with a confused expression, his friends looking similar with reaction, and Niji and Yonji were laughing over Sanji's defeat. Ichiji couldn't read Law's behavior, so it definitely caused him interest as to why the bullied would fight for the bully in a situation like this one. It didn't make any sense.

Law found Sanji in the boys' locker room, standing at the sink, wiping his face. Sanji glared fiercely at him, fists balled up at his sides. He was still upset, breathing hard, clearly on the verge of frustrated tears. He would have bruises on his face later, and his uniform was spotted with his own blood. He made to yell at Law, but his throat closed, and he grit his teeth, shaking a little. With an apologetic look, Law took out his cigarettes, lit one, and handed it over to him. For a moment, Sanji just glared at him, then looked at the burning stick.

He snatched it out of his hand and took it, inhaling deeply before erupting into coughs, settling against the sink.

"Cheap shit!" he cursed angrily, pulling the stick to his mouth anyway. He had no other complaints as the effects of the nicotine kicked in, making it difficult to think after what had happened. The smoke burned his lungs, made it easy to cough, but he sucked at it anyway, leaning his back against the sink to glare at the floor. He was humiliated and frustrated, and he couldn't quite verbalize any of it. It would be natural reaction to attack Law for it, but…he was _tired_.

Cautiously, Law wet some napkins, wrung them dry. With some hesitation, he reached over and carefully wiped grit and blood from Sanji's cheek, and while Sanji was too upset to do anything at that point, he was surprised by the gesture. He tensed, ready to lash out at him, but doing so would unleash an embarrassing show of emotion from him; and Law didn't have to find him and approach him, but he did, and he was here.

Sanji was confused by his own feelings on that.

When he didn't reject the treatment, Law stepped in closer to gently continue cleaning. The bell rung, but both of them ignored it. He took the cigarette butt from Sanji, ran it under the water from the sink, and threw it in the trash. He smeared the ashes towards one of the drainage grates nearby, and Sanji watched him with confusion. Law turned to look at him, and caught the expression. Both of them just regarded each other quietly, wearing cautious faces.

Before he could say anything, Sanji stomped off, leaving Law alone. He threw the wet napkin he'd used into the trash, and then washed his hands; afterward he headed to class as Sanji left school grounds and headed home.

* * *

 **Guest** : Ah, thank you for your thoughts! Being that it's still early in the story – I honestly have no idea what's in store, it's a chapter by chapter thing, with an ending I see clearly – things are still bound to happen. Teenagers can be finicky creatures, driven by drama and circumstance; I'm preying on that for this fic. The Vinsmokes are capable of turning around and administering justice as they see fit, but whether it's for or about Sanji remains to be seen. So far, they don't see Law as a threat, but as something of amusement – as evidenced by Yonji's teasing and Niji's prodding – but this chapter details something a little different. Ichiji is watching, being the snoopy bro that he is, and he's seeing things that make him a little curious. Being that Sanji was exposed for his little secret, Ichiji is watching his little brother a little more closely, now. Roci has his good and bad days, and that day gave Sanji a little insight as to why Law tries so hard for him – unfortunately, Roci is also the main one leaving bruises (though, not by purpose; his illness makes it difficult for him to think/see clearly). The more Sanji hangs around, the more he learns, whether he wants to, or not. But that's also something Sanji needs to figure out for himself – is this fixation truly what he think it is? Ahhhh….this is where things will get tricky for both of them. The teacher gives up when it comes to the brothers – after a brief meeting with Judge, he just doesn't have the will to fight them, unfortunately for those that get drawn into the brothers' dramas. DX This chapter changed dramatically for them because of classroom dynamics – but it should be noted that Sanji did not give away their secret despite the trouble, and that would be explored later.

 **Sarge1130** : Doflamingo always makes it clear that he doesn't want them to be pitied, despite their conditions. They're making it, he feels; they don't need charity. Law abides by this just to keep the peace, and keep his place. His hope for the future is dashed by his living circumstances, now; it's going to take something huge to change his way of thinking D : While his parents are out of reach for him, they're not that far away. We've yet to meet them, and you can bet Sanji, with his continuing interest in the subject, won't let it go so easily. D : And, yes, he's still a jerk; but things are changing, very slowly, the more he learns of Law's life, and the more he's shunned by his own family. He needed a push to look at things different, and unfortunately, he has to learn the hard way. Oof.


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

* * *

Law noticed Sanji's empty chair the next morning, feeling undecided as he stood for a moment, wondering where he was. He did feel confusion as to why it mattered, unsure if he felt guilty for not reaching him in time, or because something happened on his behalf. He shouldn't have to feel that way, considering the circumstances, but he did feel responsible. He didn't want to feel indebted to anybody, and this situation made him feel that way. He didn't know why Sanji just didn't tell these kids the real story; he didn't care what was thought of him.

"That crybaby stayed home, today," Niji said, in the middle of finding his favorite pen, noticing Law standing at his desk. "Couldn't handle the humiliation of facing the kid that beat his ass. Such a fucking jerk."

"Aw, English, are you sad your boyfriend isn't here?" Yonji asked across from class, looking theatrically sad. "Don't worry, he'll be back. He skipped out."

Embarrassed that he was noticed, Law sat down, crossing his arms tight over his chest and sinking low in his chair.

"Hey, I let him know you're thinking about him!" Yonji then hollered, holding up his phone to show that he had. "Maybe that'll make him man up, a bit. I heard that looking forward to seeing your wife at the end of the day is a good feeling. _Huh_ , Mr Hansen?"

"There is nothing in this world that would make Sanji 'man up'!" Niji laughed, kicking Koala's chair, forcing her to drop her pen. He leaned around his desk to watch her bend over to pick it up, trying to sneak a pic in the process. "That fag is a lost cause."

"Hey, who of you is the 'guy' in the relationship?" Yonji asked Law curiously, sitting on his chair with one knee, leaning over the desk of the kid behind him.

Law ignored them both, feeling his face reddening with the attention. The pair were only being jerks, speaking loud enough to be heard in the busy hallway, and he didn't care for their 'jokes'. But he wondered, as a family, why they weren't very supportive of their brother. It made him think of yesterday, watching them laugh and jeer at the sight of Sanji getting beat by that Monkey kid. Of hearing Sanji shout at him for trying to exceed the expectations of his father. In a way, he identified with that, thinking of long ago, when his parents spoke of Lamie with such high praises when he was right in front of them, doing his best to be noticed.

It was an uncomfortable feeling to have, to _identify_ with someone like Sanji.

"Hey," the boy next to him said low, as Yonji turned his attention to Mr Hansen, protesting a recent assignment that had Niji yelling at him. The last bell rang, and the door was shut as Mr Hansen sighed tiredly, drinking heavily from a water bottle.

Law glanced at the boy from the corner of his eye, trying to remember if he'd ever heard his name.

"You okay?"

It was an odd question to be asked, especially by a random stranger. Law looked at him, furrowing his brow. What did it matter to this kid? Who was he, anyway, to get involved in his life when Law didn't ask for it? The kid looked at him with a concerned expression, his friend looking over with a similar expression. One of them had choppy black hair that hung over his eyes, the other red with a long nose, both of them with hats clinging to their backpacks. What business was it of theirs to ask him something like that? Law had never asked for their help, nor did he invite their concern, so it pissed him off that they would do so, now.

"Fuck off," he told him, the boy looking startled, then embarrassed as Law looked away, frowning. Both of them looked at each other, then returned to their work, wearing expressions of confusion. Law felt self conscious over being placed into this situation, not wanting their attention or their concern. He tuned out Mr Hansen's lecture, not bothering opening his notebook. He did want to put effort into his classwork as Smoker directed, but he felt too entirely conscious of the events that had happened recently, and he fretted over the newfound attention.

During break, he headed to his next class, feeling a bad mood building. He sat down at his desk and stared out the window, unsure of the feelings that were building around him. With faint voices in the background, students taking advantage of break to get something to eat or visit near their lockers, Law found himself wondering what sort of life Sanji had. Why did he have to try so hard? Why weren't his own brothers supportive? What exactly happened when Law sent those messages?

 _Why should he care_?

The last question confounded him, feeling uneasy with it.

"Hey."

Startled out of his thoughts, Law looked away from the window to see Ichiji standing in the doorway of the classroom, removing his glasses to look at him. Seeing that he was noticed, Ichiji entered, and took the steps necessary to stand just a few feet away from Law's desk. Feeling anxiety at the eldest Vinsmoke's presence, unsure if he'd be accused or asked of anything weird, Law crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Ichiji warily.

"Sanji didn't do that, did he?" Ichiji asked, gesturing at his own face. "I can't see him purposefully inflicting any sort of injury. He might be irritating, causing injury indirectly, but I can't see him doing this sort of thing to you."

Law didn't think he needed to say anything to Ichiji; he didn't need to explain his personal life to anybody. Besides, with how haughty this boy was, Law felt that if he said anything, the possibility of being mocked was a high one.

But he heard himself answer, "No."

"But it happened Friday, correct?"

Law felt his brow furrow once again, looking up at him as he tried to read that expression. Ichiji didn't present himself with any threatening gestures, but the air that came off him was confrontational. It was like facing off with a snake that carried venom, knowing it'd strike, but presenting itself casually. He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, not finding any advantage to answer that question. But it also made him wonder why Sanji had not said anything – he'd left the house in such a mess; wouldn't he have to explain himself to his family right away?

Law was confused by Sanji's reasoning for secrecy.

Ichiji frowned when he didn't get an answer. Law didn't like being put on the spot.

"Fuck off," he said uncomfortably.

Ichiji's brow furrowed as Law looked away, to stare down at his notebook, fisting his hands as he felt the air shift.

"'Fuck off'?" Ichiji repeated slowly. "I'm here, wanting to clear my brother's name, and you're telling me to 'fuck off'? Without doing anything, or saying anything, you managed to ensure a group of kids to have Sanji beat up, and you're telling me to 'fuck off'? I don't appreciate that my family is being dragged into some drama of yours without an explanation. If he had nothing to do with it, then I demand a better explanation from the source."

"Hey."

Both of them looked over at the doorway, seeing the boy from first period standing there, his friend behind him. They looked nervous as Ichiji turned to face them, but he said steadily, "Leave him alone."

"I am only trying to understand why my younger brother was cause of a group confrontation," Ichiji said, standing firm. "Were you the ones to say something to cause that Monkey boy provocation?"

"Yes. _So_?"

"Based off senseless words without weight behind it, _you're_ the ones that caused the actual fight?" Ichiji asked, stepping away from Law's desk, Law looking after him uncomfortably, then at the boys that looked frozen as the eldest Vinsmoke moved towards them. "Then I suggest you go and rectify the actual story. It has been suggested that Sanji was _not_ the one to cause the injury in the first place."

"Yeah _right_ , considering how much trouble he's been causing since Trafalgar came to class - !"

"But if Sanji didn't do anything to cause it, then why take it out on him?" Ichiji asked, walking up to them, Law sitting up in his desk with discomfort, uncertain of what to do. "Apologize to me. For drawing our family into a senseless situation caused by hearsay, damaging our reputation. For one thing, if a Vinsmoke causes trouble, each one of us stands behind our actions; this doesn't seem to be the case at all. If Sanji had actually caused the injury, I'm sure he would have claimed to do so. But he didn't. He was senselessly attacked for something he didn't do."

The boys looked very uncomfortable, looking at each other, then at Law, then back at Ichiji as he stood right over them, looking quite intimidating as he did so.

"Oh? You lost your voices?" Ichiji asked, the bell ringing as the halls became active. "You're quite noisy when you're not being confronted."

The teacher walked in at that moment, startled by the scene at the doorway. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked crankily, lowering her Starbucks cup to her hip as she looked at Ichiji. "You boys, _out_."

The pair quickly left at her command, and Ichiji frowned back at Law. With that one look, Law felt like he'd just been fitted with a beacon of some kind, promised retribution. But the eldest Vinsmoke left the classroom without another word, and the teacher looked at Law for an explanation. He only shrugged in response, looking out the window as the classroom filled with students.

But he understood what Ichiji was saying – he'd made it loud and clear. He wasn't sticking up for Sanji; he was sticking up for their family name. He had a feeling that his situation with Sanji was completely separate; Sanji only picked on him because he thought to chose a victim that wouldn't fight him back, but he chose the wrong one because Law was capable of fighting back, so the challenge was only Sanji trying to reassert dominance. But Sanji was taking out his frustrations on him because _he_ was his family's own target; it made sense, considering how much his brothers picked on him, how he had to 'try hard' for his own father's attention.

Uncomfortable with the dynamics, Law shook his head. He'd come into this school expecting to keep everyone at a distance, but somehow, it didn't turn into that, at all. At lunch, he wandered away from his usual spot to the quad, pausing at the corner of the hall to look out. Everyone enjoying the nice weather and lunch were loud and active, filling the area with noise, and anxiety rippled through him. He broke into a light sweat as his fingers curled into fists, his throat dry. He scanned the faces of those on the outside, heart pounding hard against his ribs. He spotted the Monkey kid eating a rather mountainous serving of hamburgers, burritos and nachos, a girl with orange hair cutting into apples with a pocket knife at his side. The group was loud and noisy, with games on cellphones being played, iPads out with Youtube up, and they were centered within the quad amidst a mixture of classes.

Putting himself out there was going to be a difficult task, and the thought of having everyone's attention on him while he attempted to speak made his stomach drop. He talked himself out of it, internally coming up with scenes that made the possibility of approach impossible. It was too noisy; he would have to speak up. Once he spoke up, people would be listening close, eager to learn the content. With all their faces on him, he'd grow self-conscious, and he would stutter, fumble, and everyone would hear his impediment. Then he'd burn with embarrassment, fumble with his words even more, and everyone would laugh at him. That Monkey kid would no doubt ask him to repeat himself because he wouldn't understand why Law was defending Sanji, and the thought of doing so made Law burn with reluctance.

 _No_. He could not risk that. Not even for someone like Sanji and his family. Yesterday's efforts should be good enough. Ichiji would just have to get over it.

He turned to walk away when he realized a kid was standing there, staring at him with a frown. Another was crouched at his feet, eating a couple of hamburgers. Both of them seniors, mirroring each other's expressions. There was no doubt about it, they were approaching him with the intention of confrontation, and Law didn't want any more attention to the matter.

"I heard what's going around the school," the blond one said with a set of his brows. "Luffy got into a fight with one of the Vinsmokes over you? We had a few questions. We're his brothers."

"We're not looking for a fight. Just for clarification," the other one said, mouth full. "Plus, if those jerks are looking for a fight, they're picking it with the wrong crew. Luffy can't afford to be fighting all the time. Gramps is going to kill him. So they're going to end up fighting us, instead."

"So, explain what's happening, because I don't understand."

Law stared at his shoes, feeling his heart hammer against his chest. He didn't know these two; the situation was out of hand. He shouldn't have to explain himself to them. He shouldn't have to explain himself to _anyone_. He felt angry that he was put in this spot to do so. It reflected on his face.

He made to tell them to 'fuck off', but the one crouching stood up, and casually stepped to the side, trapping him against that corner. So he either had to walk out on the quad to escape them, or risk a scene with these two. One on one he'd be fine with, but these two weren't giving him any leeway. They looked pretty healthy, too, confident and secure; while not built like the Vinsmoke brothers, they looked like tanks in their own standing.

"Hello?" the one with freckles asked, leaning in to look at his downcast expression. "Can you English?"

"Ace, back up. Let him talk."

"Just wondering, Sab, because I heard the kids talking about how he doesn't talk very much."

"Look, a 'yes' or 'no' would do fine in these circumstances," Sabo then said, lowering his hands to his sides. "Was this caused by that Sanji kid? Luffy often mentions that he's a jerk."

"No," Law answered, full of frustration, still not making any eye contact with either of them.

"Did it have anything to do with Sanji?"

"No."

"Are you protecting him? Because I'm aware of how that family works," Sabo said with uncertainty. "My girlfriend mentioned how awful he is to you in first period."

" _No_."

Ace looked at Sabo with a frown, Sabo repeating the expression. Ace then asked, "Was Luffy in the right jumping him?"

"No."

"Can you give a little more than that? Because we're trying to clear his name, and - !"

" _No_."

"Ace, go play," Sabo then said, shoving him to the side, Ace stumbling a bit. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay," Ace muttered, giving him a pout before turning and ambling off.

Sabo looked back at Law, exhaling evenly. Law was aware that Ace had left, glancing up just to see the senior meandering his way back towards the cafeteria, but it didn't release any tension in him once he was faced with Sabo alone. His fists were still curled at his sides, and he could feel adrenaline start to pool into his veins – if he had to fight, then he would, but over such a dumb ass reason.

"Look, if this was a mistake done on Luffy's part, then we apologize for him. He doesn't like seeing kids bullied, and he would step in if it were brought to his attention," Sabo said with an apologetic air. "He was already looking for an excuse to fight Sanji himself, considering how Sanji's always cheap shotting him, but he couldn't stand it after hearing of the rumors that Sanji broke your nose. Everyone knows how he picks on you, so he thought he was being helpful."

It took Law a few moments to muster up an answer, and he stared down at his shoes to concentrate on doing so. "Sanji had nothing to do with this. Assumptions were made."

"You're not defending him at his threat, are you?" Sabo asked suspiciously.

"No."

"Those other guys aren't saying anything, are they? They won't really step in if it's Sanji's business, but that older guy tends to come in if _he_ feels slighted in any way. From what the other kids say, they did nothing to interfere on Sanji's behalf, but Penguin and Shachi also told Luffy that Ichiji had confronted you this morning."

"Why is this anyone's business? Everyone needs to fuck off! I want nothing to do with anyone's attention!" Law finally snapped, lifting his voice to do so.

Sabo looked surprised at the vehemence Law spoke with, but it was tough taking it seriously when it came from someone that didn't look very threatening, and that speech impediment was fairly obvious. It made him understand why the Vinsmokes chose him to bully, and why Luffy chose to speak up for him. Instead of taking Law's words into consideration, Sabo figured that Law was only trying to direct more attention away from him, denying any trouble at all. He didn't think Sanji would stop bothering him, and he didn't feel that Luffy would stop interfering. He didn't believe Law at all.

"They're only trying to help you – " he tried to say, but Law only flipped him off and walked away, hunching his shoulders and looking down once kids looked their way. Sabo couldn't imagine how this kid stopped the fight in the first place when he couldn't even stand his own ground one on one, but he let it go. He walked out onto the quad, headed straight towards Luffy and friends.

"Hey," he said, catching the boy's attention. "Leave that kid alone, okay? He said Sanji didn't do anything to him, and he doesn't want anymore trouble."

Luffy spoke with a mouthful, looking indignant. "But, _Sabo_ \- !"

"Leave him alone. Jump in only if you see actual trouble on him. But for now, he just wants to be left alone. Listen," Sabo said, crouching aside of Zoro, who was napping loudly nearby, "from what I gather, Sanji's brothers are making fun of him, as well. I really don't think he did that to Trafalgar, because he would be the type to brag about it."

"He's such a _jerk_!"

"I understand that, but this kid doesn't want anymore trouble. He wants to be left out of it. Just…leave him alone. Let him ask for help if he wants it." Sabo looked away from Luffy. "If those two want to help him, let them do so on their own. He doesn't want it."

Huffing, Luffy lowered his sandwich to the tray, watching as Sabo walked off. He looked frustrated, but if Sabo was telling him to back off, then he would do so.

: :

That next day, he wandered into gym late, Garp yelling at him from down the other end of the gym for even showing up with "that face". After being directed to sit out again, Law took a seat near the end of the bleachers, looking down at his PE uniform, wondering if he could change back into his slacks and sweater. Rosinante had had a rough night, and both of them barely had any sleep. The things he had been shouting had been worrisome to Doflamingo, so Doflamingo had decided to stay home with him, today. Rosinante had once again mentioned that Doflamingo had killed their father, and had asked Law to verify this information from his tombstone; being that, sometimes, Rosinante said things that didn't make sense, Law didn't think about it too much. But he did wonder why Doflamingo was so upset this morning, having heard it all.

He closed his eyes for a few minutes of shuteye, feeling exhausted and hungry, the sounds of dodgeball going on from the court ahead of him. After yesterday's events, he was very wary coming into school, certain he'd be assaulted by somebody; now that he was aware of who Luffy was, Law had come to notice that those kids were everywhere. Luffy had looked at him with frustration in the hall, but walked off, and those two boys from first period looked pouty, but they weren't that far behind, either. The Vinsmokes themselves were a no-show, but Law had thought he'd heard Yonji hollering in the halls earlier. Law felt apprehensive of them because of Ichiji's confrontation, sure that it wasn't going to be the end of it, so he felt tense at the thought of seeing Sanji pop up anytime soon.

Really, it was too much stress to deal with, and Law thought it was ridiculous how many people it had drawn into it. He'd told Rosinante a little of it, last night, but had turned it into a story where his friends were only concerned about him, and everyone was happy Sanji had been there to help him. He didn't want Rosinante to know that everyone, in reality, had accused Sanji of being the one behind it and had been beaten up for it; during his moments of lucidity, Rosinante had been grateful for Sanji's presence, and had started talking nicely of him. Law would never give him the real story, though.

He opened his eyes, hearing something clatter noisily to the floor in the locker room to his right. He was startled awake at that moment, unsure if it were just a classmate dropping things in there, or if it had actually been a sound he'd heard. He straightened up in his seat, looking over the dodgeball game, and realized that all his classmates were accounted for. Several of them were clustered around Garp, drawing on his face as he snoozed standing up underneath the basketball hoop. Law glanced back towards the locker room, wondering if he'd actually heard something.

Quietly, he left the bleachers because he wondered if someone were going through his things – the sting of his conscience hitting him over his previous discovery of ten dollars from others' unlocked lockers – and walked in. The noises were a little louder, followed by a slam of a door. He hesitated for a few moments, picturing Garp's office door belonging to the source of that action, for it also connected to a side door near one of the stairwells. Then he walked in, peering around a row of lockers, seeing stuff on the floor near the shower stalls. It made him nervous, trying to recall exactly what he'd heard, and ventured further in.

The material on the floor was clothing – a pair of scissors sat nearby, abandoned on the floor. What made it alarming was a feeling of dread that hit him, hastening his step towards the clothing and seeing that someone had cut through a pair of slacks, a sweater, the maroon top required underneath. He picked up the remains of the sweater, catching sight of the pen mark left behind where Sanji jabbed him with his pen. A few feet away from that was his notebook, all the pages torn out and tossed in random directions. Law dropped the shredded material and went for his locker, seeing that it was opened. He swore he'd locked it, and when he opened it, all that was sitting inside was his pen and wallet – he drew that out with trembling hands, and looked inside, seeing that the money he'd had inside was cut into tiny pieces, mixed together in a clump within the middle pocket. Horror hit him – granted, it was only the cash he'd taken from others, but the fact that someone had taken the time to do this was painful. He was being specifically targeted, and he had an idea of who it was.

He dumped out the clump of bills, watching it flutter to the floor. Looking back at his uniform, he knew there was no saving it; he had enough cash to buy another set, but he couldn't keep doing it, not with October coming up quickly. He swallowed hard, shutting the locker, holding tightly onto his wallet. He spun the dial, very positive he'd locked it earlier.

There was only one person that had access to this type of thing.

After class, aware of the looks his male classmates were giving him as he left the gym in his uniform, Law marched to the front office. He was aware people were looking at him, but he didn't care. He needed to stop this before it could continue. He couldn't afford to keep replacing his uniforms, his school supplies, and he wanted those boys to leave him alone.

"Hey… _hey_! _STOP_!"

He did stop in view of the front office, where Ichiji was standing at the front desk with a smug expression. But Law turned and looked at Sanji, who was frowning at him from the main hall, phone in hand, kids looking on with interest. To the right, from the corridor that led to the science hall, Niji was grinning as he leaned against the large pin board with school news and cheery pep signs blasted over it, arms crossed over his chest. Coming down the stairway to Law's left was Yonji, who was smiling with the same type of expression as Ichiji was, and once those around recognized a confrontation, most stopped in mid-movement to watch, phones being hefted into view.

Law glared at Sanji, finding it easy to picture him being the culprit behind the mess, but the smaller teen glared back at him, phone clenched tightly in one hand. He did have bruises on his face, but he seemed to be carrying himself differently, today; Law couldn't tell what it was.

Yonji gave a whistle, pausing at the bottom step to leer at Law. "Nice legs. Forget to change into something?"

Law looked at him, feeling anger rush through his veins. His fingers tightened around his pen as Yonji looked at him smugly.

"I'm sure he has no problem buying another," Niji snickered, walking along, shoving some kids out of his way. "He looked loaded."

"Turn around and walk away," Sanji told Law, having difficulty lifting his voice to be heard. " _Just walk_."

"No, let him continue," Yonji said, wiping his nose. "This is interesting. This is fire. It seems like he has something he wants to say."

"This wascally wabbit gots wohds to say to the big bad woffs," Niji commented, chuckling as he grinned wide. He and Yonji ventured closer towards Law, who stood his ground stubbornly, knuckles whitening over his pen. "Say them, then!"

"You wanted to talk to us? Here we are, emo kid," Yonji said, using his one inch advantage to face him. "Say whatever you want to us. We're right here in front of you. You want a conversation, we'll be glad to participate."

He made to say more when he stumbled forward over Niji, who had intended on walking around Law, leg out to trip the kid. Instead, both of them hit the floor in a jumble of limbs, cursing at each other, much to the amusement of the kids around them. Seeing that Yonji hadn't tripped over himself, Sanji retracting his foot and lowering his hand, Law glared down at him.

Sanji pointed away, at the hallway. " _Go_. Hurry up! Don't just stand there like a fucking retard, _get out of here_!"

"Sanji, you fucking jerk!" Niji shouted, shoving Yonji off him, the wrestling star grunting as he was tossed away. "What'd you do that for?"

" _GO_!" Sanji repeated forcefully, grabbing Law's gym shirt and yanking him into movement, then pushing him hard to keep him moving. He then turned to face Niji as the other Vinsmoke darted over to exact revenge, shoving him back. Their resulting shouts caused a couple of office workers to emerge, hollering for a teacher, but Law did listen to Sanji's command. He glanced back to see Ichiji frowning heavily from the office, looking displeased at the turn of events. Now that his anger had swept away, replaced by confusion over the scene, Law didn't understand what had happened.

He knew the Vinsmokes had been the culprits, but was Sanji interfering on his behalf? After what happened, _why would he_? Confused, Law walked off, pushing through the flow of kids that were racing towards the sound of the fight, wanting to see what was happening.

* * *

 **Guest** : :D Thanks!


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

* * *

After school, Sanji charged over to the table Ichiji sat, seeing that his brother was without his book, sitting rigidly at the edge while he waited for them. Without saying anything, Sanji threw his bag at him, Ichiji catching it easily and tossing it to the ground.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Sanji demanded of him. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Little jerk, what the fuck is yours?" Ichiji demanded back, removing his glasses and calmly putting them to the side. "You dare walk up to me with that attitude when _you're_ the one who got those two in trouble? Dad's going to be furious if he hasn't already received a phone call from the school about them fighting with you. It'll be all _your_ fault, too."

"This was already a sensitive situation! I'm already to blame for ninety percent of the shit that happened, and you three are making it worse!" Sanji shouted at him.

"Stop shouting, stop yelling, talk in a normal tone!" Ichiji hissed at him impatiently, gesturing at the parking lot, where other students were looking over with interest expressions. "Why do you always have to be so loud, all the time? It's like you want the attention so badly - !"

"Whatever you did to that kid will reflect back on me, and you know it!" Sanji hissed back, standing just out of Ichiji's reach. "You did something to have him approach you like that, and whatever it was, it's not fucking fair to me! I'm already on the shitlist of his fucking fan club! They'd definitely blame me for all of this! _I got my ass kicked the other day, so I went crying to my brothers for help_! That's how they're going to see it, and that's fucking bullshit!"

"Why would you think it's about you?" Ichiji asked curiously, tilting his head. "You fucked up all on your own, without our help. But because our name is being tarnished, I find it fitting that I step in to interfere. I made my point to that kid and his friends, and I drove it in."

"Like you said that one time, _I_ made the impression, _I_ followed through, _I_ ended up with the worst of it!" Sanji snarled, kicking his dangling leg, Ichiji scowling at him. "And this just makes it even worse! This looks like you were defending me!"

"Which is totally untrue. Like I'd ever step in for you," Ichiji muttered, dropping from the table to stand in front of him. "Lower your fucking voice. You're drawing attention to us throwing a little tantrum, and it's embarrassing."

" _I don't give a fuck what people think of me_! You're the only one that cares!"

"Someone should!" Ichiji snapped. "Get in the fucking car. Those two were told they couldn't practice, today, because of that scene, so we're going home. Dad needs to have a few words with you."

"SANJI! YOU JERK!" Yonji bellowed from one of the side doors, kids startling out of his path as he strode over. "If I get kicked off the team because of you, you're gonna be dead!"

"I'm going to shave your fucking head, you asshole!" Niji shouted, but his voice came from somewhere that made them look around with puzzled action, unsure of his location.

"Let's go," Ichiji said, holding the car keys in one hand and gesturing at the Buick.

"Fuck that, I'm walking home," Sanji muttered, going to retrieve his bag as Yonji reached them.

Ichiji gestured at Sanji, Yonji throwing off his backpack with a dramatic flair. Most of those in the area looked over as Yonji picked up his smaller brother, Sanji kicking and yelling furiously, Ichiji retrieving his bag himself. Not even moments later, Niji was racing over, all of their combined shouts and actions only stopping as they all piled into the car.

Judge came home an hour later to shouts and general rampage. The living room was in clutters, with the throw rug strewn into the hall, end tables knocked over, lamps broken. A headache made itself known as he stood in the foyer, trying to calm himself. He had been absolutely proud of having four boys with over exuberant levels of testosterone, but sometimes, it was too much. After hearing what he had, today, he supposed it couldn't be helped, but he wished they would just keep it outside like they used to.

He walked into the den to see that Yonji was sitting atop of Sanji, red-faced and grunting, while Niji took pictures, Ichiji standing off to the side, yelling down at the pair on the floor. The air was rancid with gas, and it made Judge's eyes tear up. He understood that boys would be boys, but he didn't understand why this often resulted in fart games and general unpleasant displays of bodily functions. Ichiji caught sight of him and looked startled, Niji reacting with a whirl, putting his phone away, Sanji ceasing his raging screams and Yonji looking guilty as he stood up hastily.

Judge eyed all of them with frowns, lingering on the youngest three.

"Explain," he demanded.

"Sanji started a fight with us in the main hall - !"

"I _stopped_ a fight because I thought they were going to get kicked off their teams - !"

"He called me a fag because - !"

"None of it good excuses," Judge interrupted their chaotic yelling. He looked at Ichiji, who colored briefly.

"Some kid was mad at me, and those two interfered," Ichiji said sullenly. "But Sanji stepped in and started a fight with them because it was his boyfriend – "

"NOT!"

"' _Boyfriend'_?" Judge repeated as Niji yelled, "We weren't even going to fight that kid! We were giving him a chance to talk!"

"LIES!" Yonji shouted, Judge touching a hand to his forehead before sweeping his hand down to indicate for all of them to fall silent.

"Why?" he asked of Ichiji.

"I don't know. He was going to blame us for something," Ichiji said with a shrug. "I had approached him earlier about bullying Sanji – "

"LIES!" Sanji shouted.

" – And that kid didn't like it, so he intended on fighting with me over it."

"You're still being bullied?" Judge asked Sanji skeptically. "And you're cross with your brothers for defending you?"

"That's all we were doing, dad!" Yonji exclaimed. "Like, we were trying to stop something before it happened because Sanji got his ass kicked!"

"That's not even true!" Sanji yelled. "They did something to that kid to make him do that, and I know I'd get all the blame, so I stepped in to stop it!"

"Is this kid your friend?" Judge asked, confused by everything being yelled upon him at once.

"NO, but - !"

"Just a _random_ kid?"

"It's English, dad! Sanji's fag for English!"

"I AM NOT!"

"ALL OF YOU, BE QUIET!" Judge shouted, all of them shutting up quickly. He looked to Ichiji once more. "What did you do to this kid?"

"I approached him to tell him to stop picking on my brother, especially after his friends had beaten him up, the other day. But he must have taken offense to it, because he came charging into the office to give me a piece of his mind and those two heard wind of it, so they came in to help me, knowing that he has a large following of friends that would interfere. Sanji came in, and picked a fight with Yonji and Niji, and told that kid to run away," Ichiji explained with a bewildered look.

Sanji's hand shot up, waving furiously to be allowed to speak. When Judge allowed him to do so, he said quickly, "I interfered because those two were going to gang up on this kid right in _front of the main office_ , and I knew it would get them in trouble because they couldn't even take it out of sight! I stopped them because I knew they were the main aggressors! Then they turned on me!"

"We knew that kid had a bunch of friends with him, so we tried to save Ichiji, but Sanji is part of that crowd, now, and he started a fight with us because he knew we'd beat down his boyfriend!" Yonji explained, once it was his turn.

"Now, he got us kicked off the team!" Niji complained dramatically.

Judge stared at all of them, taking in their individual expressions until he looked back at Ichiji. "All you did was talk to him?"

"That's all I did."

"Then get out of here."

Ichiji strolled off without a look back, his brothers looking after him with frowns. Judge looked at the other three. "You aren't kicked off your sports teams because I did a little talking. But this is unacceptable behavior. In the end, you three made fools of yourselves right in view of the front office. What were you thinking?"

"DAD - !"

"And, you," Judge finished, scowling at Sanji, "the others had made a thoughtless decision, thinking that Ichiji cannot handle himself. Thank you for stepping in. But maintaining a friendship with riff raff is inadvisable. You'll cease that foolishness."

"He doesn't get into trouble?" Niji cried. "But he _started_ it - !"

"Both of you did a very stupid thing, today. Get into that living room and clean it up. Then sit at the table until I say otherwise."

As Judge turned to walk away, Yonji and Niji punched Sanji, so Sanji quickly scurried away, whirling around to flip them both off with a shit-eating grin. They whispered threats and returned the gesture as he then hurried upstairs to his room. He shut the door and locked it, then jumped onto his bed with a sound of relief. Now that there was silence, he exhaled heavily, trying to sort through his thoughts.

He had no idea what had really happened – Ichiji was capable of lying through his ass to make a believable story, and it was how he got away with most crimes. But seeing the text Ichiji had sent to mock Law's approach had caused them to show up in automatic solidarity. Ichiji had done something terrible to have caused Law to approach him in that way – Sanji knew Law wouldn't have done that, otherwise, considering how he avoided most situations. So it made him wonder what had happened; he'd never get the full story from those three, so he figured he'd ask Law about it.

But he was confused over his own actions. Did he really stop it to save his brothers, or Law?

: :

At school the next day, with Yonji and Niji still snarling at him for getting off scot-free – why they couldn't seem to be angry at Ichiji for the same thing was beyond Sanji's understanding – Sanji marched into first period with a huff, holding onto his Starbucks cup while Yonji tried tripping him. Sanji's reaction was to step to the side, and land a hard heel into his taller brother's gut, effectively kicking him straight back out into the hallway, where other kids had to dive to get out of the way.

"Not today, boys," Mr Hansen said tiredly, reaching for his waterbottle. He could already tell that it would be one of those mornings, with how loud and physical they were starting off. But it was only against each other this time. That was something he could be grateful, for.

"I ate all those eggs for you, today," Yonji warned Sanji as they all took their seats, the kids around Yonji looking uncomfortable. The bell rang, the rest of the class taking their seats hastily. "As soon as the stew starts brewing, I'm coming after you."

"Yeah, that'll happen, you fart vault," Sanji muttered, sinking into his chair with a hard flounce. "Mr Hansen! I need a few minutes of your time to discuss the grade you gave me over this packet from last time!"

"Grades are final!" Mr Hansen replied tiredly. "It's only an information packet – it's just to see where you are with the class, and doesn't count as – "

"Then why grade it in the first place?" Sanji complained loudly, seeing Law take to his seat in his black hoodie and jeans. "Hey, are you transferring out of here? Lucky you. This is harassment, Mr Hansen! If this work is unnecessary, then why add it to the load I have now?"

"Oh my god, can you stop your bitching? I have a headache!" Niji snapped, kicking Koala's chair. "All fucking morning you were bitching about something - !"

"If I don't have something to bitch about, then that would mean that this school had achieved it's actual posted potential and made me feel as if I accomplished something, but because I don't feel successful, I have problems!"

"You do have problems! Mr Hansen! I need a seat change! Koala's distracting me with her short sleeves, and as a meninist, I feel offended that I have to look at her bare arms, knowing she's only leading me on! This is a femtrap, and I feel unsafe!" Niji hollered, causing his classmate to cringe and redden as she hastily pulled on her jacket.

Law suspected it wasn't water Mr Hansen was gulping down from his colored waterbottle.

"As a feminist myself, Koala, I don't think you should listen to that jerk," Yonji said, whirling around in his chair to look at her. "I feel that it is all right for you to display as much flesh as possible because it is your right as a woman! What men display, women can! Free those nipples!"

" _Oh my god_ ," Sanji muttered. "When Sabo hears that, he's going to kick your ass. In fact, I'll tell him myself!"

"As long as he brings along his little brother to kick yours again!"

"Class is starting, shut up, all of you, and let's get started with the lesson plan - !"

"Sanji got his ass kicked by a sophomore! Ha ha!" Niji laughed.

Seething, Sanji glared at him, Niji flipping him off. Yonji sat correctly in his chair, leaning over his desk to laugh grandly. "Mr Hansen! Did you see that fight?"

"One more word that isn't school related, and I'll send you to the front office. Today's _not_ the day for this."

"About these packets, then!" Sanji spoke up, waving it in the air. "If it doesn't count to our grade, then why add it? I don't want to waste my time on unnecessary things! I don't have the time to waste on this!"

"We'll talk after class, Sanji."

"God, you're so wound up, all the time," Niji muttered, slumping back in his chair to stare up at the ceiling. "Why is it taking you so long to have a heart attack, already?"

"Out of pure spite," Sanji muttered, looking at the completed packet with disgust. "Mr Hansen, when you asked for an essay on what we think about the separation of pay between men and women, what were you looking for?"

"We'll talk after class, Sanji! Now – "

"I think it's bollocks!" Yonji said, sitting up straight. "Why should a nice girl like Koala be paid for something less than Roronoa, here? If you're doing the same job, why is it less? Who decided that it should be less?"

"You really wanna know why? Because it's been scientifically proven that women have smaller brains!" Niji snickered. "They can't think like us, therefore, they can't think to accomplish the same task in the same form as a man! For example – "

"We're not doing this, guy, not today," Mr Hansen said, rubbing his eyes.

"If Sanji decided he was going to suck a guy's dick, he's a guy, he knows how it goes! Koala doesn't have the same type of knowledge of a dick, and has to try harder!"

"This is fairly inappropriate – "

"Oh man, Niji! We can't talk about other people's girlfriends like that! no name dropping! Those D kids will hear you, and come get you!" Yonji added in a whisper, snickering. "Just like they did to Sanji! Ha ha!"

Koala covered her face, other kids looking at her and at the brothers with caution, Sanji playing with his phone before he lowered it to his desk. Law heard Sanji chuckling to himself, and found himself glancing from the corner of his eye towards the pair in the row next to theirs. Koala was red-faced and obviously near tears, head bowed.

"Oh, pish posh, like I'm scared of that bunch," Niji said on a scoff. "Besides, I was only making a point. The point is, men get better pay because we're better at our jobs. We don't duck our heads and cry when there's too much pressure. _This_ is a clear example of it. That's to answer your question, little bro."

"Thank you, big bro," Sanji said, snickering again. "You've been very helpful. Mr Hansen! I don't need to stay after class for this. I got it."

Law furrowed his brow, picking up his pen to fiddle with it. While the Vinsmoke brothers were always a little extra in class, this seemed quite overboard in terms of meanness. He found it a little odd that they weren't giving him the attention he'd expected, today, after yesterday's stunt. While he wasn't about to relax, he had been certain that something would have been said or done, especially since he wasn't in uniform. His suspicion had skyrocketed, but the way Sanji carried on about various topics throughout the rest of the class kept his two brothers engaged with useless information and constant comments on those around them. Mr Hansen looked quite ready to bow out for the rest of the day when the bell rang, and practically everyone had their things gathered and were out the door in moments.

Sanji nearly tripped over his outstretched foot as he marched to the front of the class with his packet, Mr Hansen finishing his drink hastily as he did so. Koala got up from her chair, wiping her eyes as Niji and Yonji made their way out. Absolutely nothing was said in Law's direction, and he couldn't help but exhale a breath of relief.

He gathered his notebook and pen, to make his way out when the hall erupted with a loud commotion. Kids scrambled for distance, Mr Hansen leaving his seat hastily to go out and check to see what was happening. Just as Law made it out to the doorway, he saw Sabo pushing Niji into a row of lockers, yelling at him to apologize to Koala. Koala was trying to make him drop it, but Niji kept running his mouth, and so the taller boy began punching him. it took two teachers to pull Sabo off of Niji, the blue-haired boy left bloodied and stunned as Yonji stood nearby, trying not to laugh at his own sibling. Law looked back to see if Sanji was even aware of this, and saw the blond back at his desk, snickering to himself. When Yonji popped in to tell Sanji what happened, Sanji gave a forced expression of shock, complete with hand to his cheek, taking the situation easily as he made his way out the other door.

After being threatened with blackmail and the like from the other student since he'd arrived, Law had no doubt that Sanji had set his own brother up for that situation. It, again, caused him immense confusion. More than likely, it had been to his own satisfaction after being teased and threatened with a 'fart-hold' of some type, but he found himself wondering if it were truly that.

At lunch, he caught sight of Sanji sneaking off away from the parking lot, and Law followed. Sanji had taken cover behind the dumpsters, already smoking by the time Law caught up to him.

Sanji glanced at him, then turned off the ringer to his phone when it sounded off. " _What_?"

Law didn't know what to say now that he was facing him, all his questions piling over each other, making it difficult to leave his mouth. He swallowed hard, then said, "Yesterday…"

"I wasn't sticking up for you!" Sanji said on a huff, looking away. "It was to keep _them_ out of trouble. But it backfired on me, and since they want to get all stupid about it, all ungrateful, I'm taking it back."

"They ruined my uniform on your behalf."

"They wouldn't stick up for me like that," Sanji scoffed at him. "Ichiji only did that because you pissed him off, somehow. I don't know what you guys were talking about, but, trust me, they would not say anything to you on my behalf."

Law considered that, pulling out his cigarettes. He lit one and smoked it in silence, thinking about the rest of the day. Sanji frowned up at him. "You're giving me away. I'm trying to hide."

"Why do you try so hard?" Law asked him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Even with your own family?"

"Because I'm the runt!"

It made sense to Law. He shrugged and turned away, intending on going to the baseball field for someplace quiet.

"Why do you wear two earrings?" he heard Sanji mutter. "You look stupid."

Law considered answering that question, cigarette lowered to his side as he frowned back at Sanji. It was a random question, but it didn't feel like an attack. The posture the kid had wasn't aggressive or offensive.

"They were my sister's," he finally said.

Sanji looked up at him curiously, forehead furrowed "You have a sister?"

" _Had_."

Sanji looked confused, pulling his cigarette out from the side of his mouth to ask, "Is she still with your parents?"

"She died when she was young."

Sanji looked down quickly. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry."

Law made to walk away again when Sanji said, "I have one. She's older. She lives with my mom."

"Is she like the rest of you?"

"No. Dad's a fucking asshole and didn't think he needed to raise a woman. I rarely get to see her."

"I see that."

"Why aren't you with your parents?" Sanji asked.

"Because they're assholes."

"I'm sure they're way better than mine. Mom doesn't even try hard to get us. She moved out of state just to get away. So, that's something we have in common."

Law realized that they had more things in common than that, and that was an uncomfortable feeling.

"If you don't like it, just leave," he said.

"Like you? Hell no. With my luck, I'd probably be returned."

"Yeah," Law agreed, thinking of how disruptive Sanji could be in the classroom. Sanji scowled up at him, dropping ashes to the pavement. "I mean…considering how well you get along with people."

"Oh, shut up. I have those guys as my brothers and an asshole father, I have some fucking quirks, okay?"

Law pulled on his cigarette, considering the word. 'Quirks' didn't quite fit Sanji, but if he wanted to lie to himself…

"Was Doflamingo mad?" Sanji then asked skeptically. "At the door?"

"Yeah, well…we're poor white trash, so…"

"Well, I don't care. I saved your life."

"Fuck you, I would've come to just fine."

"Right, making Rosinante feel even worse," Sanji snapped, standing up, holding his bag to him as he emerged from around the dumpster. "And you didn't even look for anything to eat while we were sitting here, so you're going to repeat that entire thing over again?"

"Your brothers cut up all my money, I don't have any to spend, today," Law snapped back at him, tossing the butt away from him.

"It's your own fucking fault for looking like a fucking victim. At least I fight back!"

"Yeah, I see that," Law said, gesturing at his own face, Sanji reddening as he touched his bruises with self conscious action. "That kid was like a twenty pound monkey on top of you."

"Fuck you. I'm coming over, today."

"No, you're not. Stay the fuck away from my house. I'll set Sugar on you."

"Real fucking threatening, considering she eats right out of my hands! Ichiji has practice, and I'm dropping him off, so when I do, I'm coming over. That's around seven."

"Stay away from my fucking house."

"Fuck you, don't tell me what to do!" Sanji snapped at him, walking off towards the cafeteria while Law continued on to the baseball field.

Both of them unaware that they were being watched, Ichiji's mouth set with disapproval. He didn't understand everything he heard because of the distance and how quietly Law spoke, but it did confirm some things. The familiarity they had with each other was a troubling one, and he didn't like it one bit, especially after what had happened with Niji, today. It now made sense where Sanji went after dropping them off for the evening, and Ichiji considered the weight of Sanji's actions, wondering what to do with them.

It wasn't right that Sanji was carrying on with some clandestine things, and Ichiji needed to take care of it; for the family.

* * *

 **Guest** : Yep! These are pretty short chapters, for me, so I shoot them out pretty quick! Glad to have made your day! :D

 **Snowflake97** : Ah, welcome back! Yes, this is rather different, and I'd been yearning for one of these, but ended up writing one myself. (boo!) The slow development is pretty slow, but it's getting there. Especially with this chapter!

 **GPEG** : I know you guys are out there…XD Ichiji is a little more interested in his little brother's actions than anybody thinks, but what can he do when he's already 'perfect' and has all the approval but interferes where he doesn't understand? Ah, makes some great fiction!


	11. Chapter 11

**11**

* * *

Law was on edge by the time he heard the banging on the door, and he did consider ignoring it. Sugar's excited barking did nothing to hide the fact that Sanji was there at their doorstep, and while Doflamingo wasn't home yet, Law didn't want to open that door. There was a strange situation happening, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He could not sort it out to understand it.

Did they somehow come to a truce? Or was this a lull to an upcoming storm? Why was it so easy to talk to him, even if to express dissatisfaction and talk shit, this Vinsmoke terrorist?

Law exhaled heavily, wincing at the sound of repeated banging on the door. Next to him, Rosinante blinked, but he was in one of his spacey moods, and while the sound did nothing to gain his attention, he did glance to Law before focusing on nothing. Law stood up from the kitchen table and reluctantly went to the door, Sugar barking noisily. Looking out the peephole, he watched as the dog leapt and nipped at Sanji excitedly, darting between his legs and around him as he complained. Sanji moved to kick the door when Law unlocked it with a heavy expression, setting himself up for yet another cumbersome confrontation.

"Finally! I told you I was coming over!" Sanji snapped at him, barging in without hesitation or doubt. Law looked after him incredulously, then at Sugar, cursing her for living up to her name as she chewed happily on what looked like turkey bacon strips. He shut and locked the door, tense throughout his neck and shoulders as he heard Sanji greet Rosinante loudly. There was a clatter of sound, and Law shuffled back to the kitchen, lips held tightly as apprehension curled in his gut. He walked in to see Sanji dumping various items onto the counter, muttering about the time. Law froze in the doorway, unsure of what he was seeing.

"Where the hell are all your pans? Don't tell me you're too fucking poor to have any!" Sanji snapped, rummaging through all the cupboards. He did hesitate at the sight of them; either flummoxed at the emptiness he found, or thoughtful – Law could not see his face. His shoulders tightened, and he glanced over at Rosinante, but Rosinante was staring down at the table, blinking occasionally.

Sanji found what he needed, and threw everything onto the stovetop, muttering about the cleanliness. Law stared at him in silence, unsure of what to say. His eyes touched over the sight of packaged meat, random condiments, spices, vegetables.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked tightly.

"My dad is a fucking asshole, I _told_ you this. I intended on coming over here to get you to look at my fucking history essay, but he was throwing a fit over stupid Niji. So he took it out on the refrigerator. Why let it go to waste? I'm so fucking tired of restaurant food," Sanji added in a bitter mutter, slicing through the skin of the potatoes with somewhat manageable skill. "Why throw this in the trash? Bullshit. Besides, he won't let me cook at home, and I'm just…I need something, okay? Fuck off."

Law stared at him. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to articulate the words that whirled and meshed in a vibrant mixture of anger and insult and incredulity. He knew of bullying and violence and most forms of abuse, but he'd never heard of a bully ever forcing his way into a house to _cook_. This form of harassment was…new.

"Why isn't Rosinante talking?" Sanji grumbled, throwing potatoes into a strainer he'd found, before dumping chicken stock into a large pot. When he had that burner on, he rinsed the potatoes, then glared at Law when Law hadn't yet answered.

Law just stared at him.

"Are we speaking the same language? Or did you forget how to talk?" Sanji asked, frowning at him.

"What…are you…doing?" Law asked slowly, eyes running over the recyclable bag, the clutter of packaged meats and vegetables.

"I am relieving stress! What the fuck do you think I am doing?"

"You can't just…come into people's houses and start - _cooking_!"

" _Who_ said? Fuck you, I'm doing this. This isn't really for you. This is more for me. Dad won't let me do this at home," Sanji snarled, but Law had never seen someone get so worked up over this concept, to turning red in the face and hitting his own chest to punctuate the point made. " _This is not for you_!"

"Is this another – _shitty_ way of – harassment?" Law asked, barely able to get the words out as Sanji dumped oil into a frying pan, turning on the burner.

"Yes. This is _all total_ harassment. Barging into people's dumpy houses so I can relieve my stress by cooking. Most people require a drink, a cigarette, or sex to relieve stress! Mine is cooking! And dad won't let me do it at home! He was throwing all this shit out to make way for more, and it was – like, he won't even give it to the maids, he just tosses perfectly good food out, like it's nothing!"

"So, you thought to bring it over here, _and_ \- _and_ \- relieve _stress_ by _cooking_ in my home? Like, Doffy – Doflamingo won't like it, either. _How dare you_?"

"Where is he anyway?" Sanji then asked, looking uncharacteristically timid at that moment as he turned away from the stove. He had some wax paper in hand. "Will he be home, soon?"

Law just stared at him, absolutely incredulous. Rosinante turned his head to look at Sanji, blinking with surprise, Sanji looking at him once he caught sight of the movement. Pointing at him with paper in hand, Sanji asked Law, "Can he eat steak?"

Before Law could answer, drifting over to Rosinante to calm him as the man looked at Sanji with confusion, growing tense as he didn't recognize him, Sanji turned and pulled a mallet from the bag. He had the steak set out, and he laid the wax paper over the steak, and began beating the meat with it. Law set his hands on Rosinante's shoulders once they began to tense, and he leaned over him, to force him to focus on him. He didn't know whether to comfort him or remove him from the kitchen, Rosinante pulling his head away to glare in Sanji's direction.

"Who are you?" Rosinante demanded of Sanji.

"I am Number Three, at your service, sir."

"You're upsetting him, you need to leave," Law told Sanji, straightening away from the older man to grab some tissues, to wipe Rosinante's face.

"You're upsetting _me_ , but you don't see me bitching about it," he heard Sanji mutter.

"Goddamn it, _leave_!"

"Don't you curse at me!" Sanji shouted over his shoulder, holding the mallet in one hand.

"Is he the waiter?" Rosinante asked Law with confusion.

"Yes!" Sanji answered for Law, returning to the meat. "Order up!"

"You need to leave," Law insisted, fingers curling over Rosinante's shoulders as the man shifted in his seat, shaking hands laying over the table.

"Not while I'm beating my meat. I need to finish, first." Sanji then paused in mid-motion, feeling his face, neck and ears flame with a flustered color.

"Can we smoke, here?" Rosinante whispered to Law, tapping his hand softly. Law glanced at him, looking over the sandwich he'd made for him, the cup of milk that Rosinante had yet to touch. Then he looked back at Sanji, seeing that the teen looked completely mortified, muttering to himself about his choice of words as he resumed action with the mallet.

The situation was so odd. So unlike anything that had happened, and Law didn't know how to handle it. Rosinante pushed his sandwich away, looking over at Sanji with expectation, looking delighted with something new and fragrant.

"This restaurant is nice. Service could be better," he whispered to Law, indicating the mess on the table.

Sanji started cooking the steak, then dumped the potatoes into the chicken stock, before looking at his watch. He cursed, then hastily began dicing up some vegetables. Once he had those cooking with the steak, the kitchen filling up with smells that made Law's stomach growl noisily, he then started throwing cans and condiments into the cupboards.

Then he started on the dishes, and Rosinante asked for a cigarette. Law just continued to stand there, glaring at Sanji venomously, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to relax and think that this was ' _okay'_ , that _they_ were 'okay' when the pair of them weren't. Sanji was still a little shit, and Rosinante was just too vulnerable, and Doflamingo would come home and be enraged that someone took 'pity' on them to cook for them. He did not want to relax – this was not 'okay'.

" _Get out_ ," he said tightly, fingers curling anxiously on Rosinante's shoulder. "Get the fuck out of here."

"Not until this is done."

"No. I didn't ask for this. This is not something anybody should be doing - !"

"I don't give a shit! This is more for me than it is for either of you two!"

"You can't just barge into people's homes and start _cooking_!"

"I can, and I just did." Sanji turned to glare at him, then noticed his expression. For a few stiff moments, he just stood there, then he abandoned the sink. Without saying anything, he grabbed his recyclable bag and stalked off, Rosinante looking after him with shock before looking up at Law with an upset expression. The door slammed shut moments later, Sugar barking noisily.

"Where did he go? Should we speak to the manager?" Rosinante asked, looking outraged.

At the sound of the steak and vegetable frying in the pan, the bubble of potatoes on the stove, Law looked over at the area. He felt incredibly upset. His nose itched, and his eyes felt misty. Rosinante reached up with his shaking hands and pulled his head and shoulders down to hug him, whispering words of comfort.

Minutes later, Sanji just sat in the driver's seat of the Buick, upset. He wiped his eyes before gripping the steering wheel. " _What the fuck am I doing_?" he asked himself, watch pinging with a message from Ichiji.

: :

Smoker showed up at the school before lunch, pulling Law out of the last few minutes of his class. Once he saw the boy walking over with reluctant action, Ichiji watching him with an unnervingly blank expression, Smoker's face turned into a heavy scowl.

"What the fuck is wrong with your face, now?" he demanded, quite aware of Ichiji's presence behind the desk.

Law managed a limp shrug as the lunch bell rang. Smoker stared at him, noting the bruises, the swelling, then taking in the rest of him. Ichiji left a few moments later, Smoker shaking his head with disgust as he led the way out. Once out in the bright afternoon light, the sounds of kids' voices echoing from around the school, Smoker led his way to his government issued car waiting at the curb.

"Surprise check up," Smoker muttered, indicating the bag of fast food. "I was out at lunch, and conveniently had some left over."

"Don't you have other kids to harass?" Law muttered bitterly, unable to staunch the rumble of his stomach at the smell of food from the bag he was forced to remove from the passenger side seat as he climbed in.

"You're my favorite. Don't tell anyone. What happened to your fucking face? Don't give me a shitty story, either."

"I fainted."

"Give me another excuse."

"That's the only one I have."

"This is bullshit, and I swear on all that's holy - !"

"Ask Rosinante. He was there."

Smoker glared out the windshield, working his jaw. Law did dig in to eat, hands shaking as he did so. He separated the bun from the cheeseburger, wrapping it with the extra lettuce crammed between cheese and bun, which told him that this was not 'left over'. While the greasy food hit the spot, it wasn't nearly as satisfying as the dinner he and Rosinante had shared last night. All day long, he felt enormously unidentifiable feelings inside of him, and he couldn't help but feel sensitive over it. He still didn't know how to separate his feelings to settle them.

"How are your grades?" Smoker then asked.

"Better."

"Getting to school on time?"

"Yes."

"Doflamingo sure is a grumpy piece of shit."

"Yep."

"If I find out later that he's the one laying his hands on you – "

"You won't."

Smoker exhaled heavily. "These kids at school settle down, some?"

"Yes."

"Your parents do want to talk to you. You know, our intentions at the agency are to unite families, not separate them."

"I don't want to talk to them."

"I understand that, but in a controlled setting, this might be something you'd need as closure."

"I had the closure I needed when I left. I don't want to talk to them."

"Give me a good reason besides 'I don't want to'."

Heaving a sigh, Law lowered the cheeseburger.

"Stop picking at your food. Just eat the goddamned bread."

"I don't like it. Those little seeds creep me out."

"Like you can afford to be picky! Now, that reason?"

"…They won't like me."

"Bullshit. I'm saying that right now!"

"I'm not that little boy, Smoker. They didn't like me then, they won't like me, now."

"If I can like you, they can, too."

"You're creepy, too."

"They're very remorseful, they're good people. They've completed extensive counseling, they fall under the approval we don't normally hand out when we're screening people. They're very willing to work with us when it comes to a potential reunification – "

"No."

"Look, it's okay to be scared – "

"I'm not scared, I just don't want to! If I have a choice in the matter, then I choose 'no'!"

"Then what if you didn't have a choice? Part of my job is reuniting kids with their families, and this is something I want to do. In fact, my boss demands that I do. Hey, at least you tried. Even if you still feel the same, at least I can eliminate that step from my reports. One time won't kill you."

"I will run away again. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"And leave Rosinante behind? I doubt it." Smoker glared out the windshield once more, waiting for Law to stop cramming food into his mouth. "He'd want you to do this."

"He'd want me to be comfortable, and he doesn't want me to do anything that makes me feel like running away," Law said stubbornly. "You're so old, you don't get it."

"I'm not that old! I'm in my mid-twenties!"

Law looked at him with shock, Smoker wearing an insulted expression at this.

" _I am_ ," he growled, digging out his wallet, showing Law his driver's license. Law nearly lost what was in his mouth as he examined Smoker's birthdate, looking once more at him with shock. The man wasn't that much older than him, but it had never occurred to Law that they were that close in age. Smoker snatched his ID away from him, angrily stuffing that back into his wallet and throwing that atop of the dash. "Goddamn you."

"Then why is your hair so white - ?"

"Because this job stresses me out! Look, one meeting at the center, with me, Tashigi, and Hina. And if you get too uncomfortable, we can cut it, but you at least have to try. Like I said earlier, we're supposed to reunite families, keep them together, not apart. My boss is on my ass for giving you a choice. He doesn't like it. I can force this, but I don't want to."

Law glared out the windshield, chewing slowly. The thought of being faced with his parents caused anxiety like no other to rip through him, making his lungs tight. He thought of the last night he'd had with them – his father hitting him after an outburst, his mother crying in the kitchen. When Law fought back, his father overwhelmed him, pushing and shoving and shouting fiercely, furniture being overturned as his mother screamed. Because he didn't carry any injuries from that incident, the charges had been minimal, but then again, Law had ran away, and had given the authorities no help in the matter, which was why he was thrown into the system.

All the tension, anger, shock and horror that he remembered of that night felt old and faded, but they were still there. He thought of all the things that had happened between then and now, and knew that they would not want him after it all. He'd helped kill an elderly man; he'd developed survival techniques that would have never happened if he hadn't been separated from his parents. He was angry, he was tired, and he felt worthless. His education was lacking, he had poor grades, poor hygiene, a poor outlook at life. Compared to them, he was not a product of two successful doctors that did everything they could to save their little girl, but failed.

He thought of Lamie in her last moments, wasted away to nothing but bones and pale skin; her loss of hair, her deep eye bruises, her shuddering last breaths. He couldn't help but wonder what she would've been like if she were allowed to live; would she still have been perfect?

"Think about it," Smoker insisted gently. "But I'd like this to happen in the next couple of weeks. You can decide for yourself during the meeting if you'd like this to continue. What's going to happen when you're of age? Think Doflamingo will keep you? You won't be providing him with income. Your parents want you home. They want to give you everything. They want to make up for happened, and it can happen. Things can turn around for everyone if they just try."

Sullenly, Law crumbled the discarded buns within its paper and shoved that into the bag. The fry bag followed.

"You're into way too many Disney movies," Law muttered bitterly.

"Where's your uniform?" Smoker then asked, finally noticing that he wasn't wearing the school colors.

Law didn't answer, but he pushed out of the car. "Thanks for lunch. I'll think about it."

"Two weeks!" Smoker shouted after him before Law shut the door and stalked off, searching his sweater for his cigarettes. He walked around the school as Smoker watched him with a scowl.

Law's hands were shaking as he lit up, uncaring if the teachers caught him. he made to go through the parking lot when he remembered that the Vinsmokes were back there, and he instead leaned against the corner of the wall, where Sabo and Ace had confronted him. it made him sick how his conflicting feelings pummeled each other within him. But he hated the way he felt, hearing Smoker tell him that 'it was okay to be scared'.

He _was_ scared, overall. After experiencing so many disappointments, how could one think he could relax and think that things were going to be 'okay'? People were expecting too much of the concept, and it just wasn't right. He was starting to feel unraveled, again, that creeping feeling of restlessness and unsteady control over his emotions and actions moving through his veins.

He wanted to go home, but he knew if he did, Smoker and Doflamingo would be notified of his unexplained absence. He couldn't cause that sort of trouble, now; he wasn't ready to be on his own, just yet.

: :

The Vinsmokes had a reputation for being stubborn, relentless and shitty, and Law knew this. So when Niji kept mouthing off in their last period class to those that would listen about his fight with Sabo the day earlier, Law expected someone in the class to snap. Mihawk was a firm teacher with good control, establishing his authority enough that the Vinsmoke often followed his direction with grand reluctance, but Niji was only trying to save face.

"It's easy to knock a guy out when they aren't looking, and that pussy made sure I wasn't looking!" Niji was saying to a kid named Vito, who nodded eagerly, listening to his story with utter fascination. "Of course he'd hit me when my back was turned! That's the only way to take us down! When we least expect it!"

"Of course, your bro was looking right at Luffy when Luffy attacked, so what do you have to say to that?" a kid named Pedro asked, long, wavy hair over his face as he gave Niji a skeptical look.

"We don't acknowledge Sanji," Niji scoffed. "Fag."

"Is that your only comeback to anything any of us say?"

"Talking about women like that will get _anyone_ knocked out," Perona tittered. "Sabo's so nice and manly – it's a wonder he didn't get to you any sooner than that."

"Shut up, lesbian. You're a double whammy of everything that's wrong with women."

"Do you talk to your sister with that mouth?" she complained.

"I said, shut up!"

"Make me! Unlike Koala, I don't give a fuck what you say about me! I handle my own self!" Perona challenged him, throwing her pencil at him.

"Knock it off, you two," Mihawk warned. "Vinsmoke. Take that corner seat, and one more word from you, and you'll be out of here. That's two warnings in a row, I doubt your father will have the right words to save you after that."

"She's allowed to attack me? That's what's wrong with the world, now, women are given way too much power over men! We can't even breathe in their direction without having the threat of sexual harassment being tossed at us!" Niji complained noisily, rising up from his chair after gathering his things.

"It is not 'attacking' when one is already being attacked. Shut it."

"I have to sit _here_?" Niji then asked with a whine, seating himself uncomfortably in front of Law, who had the unfortunate chair behind the Time-Out desk. "I don't want to sit in front of English! He and my brother are fags, he might mistake me for Sanji!"

Law frowned at him, fingers tightening on his pen as his temper rose.

"Don't look at me, fag," Niji hissed at him.

"Don't give him a reason," Mihawk warned, but neither boy was sure whom he was talking to, his back turned to them as he wrote several points on the whiteboard.

Niji did turn in his seat to scowl back at Law, who crossed his arms over his chest, slouching low, knuckles white as he clutched his pen. Below Mihawk's lecture, Niji whispered, "Heard Sanji went to your house, last night. Was he cooking for his precious? Dad was pissed he took his soup kitchen elsewhere."

Law didn't respond to that, but it was hard to ignore the way Niji chuckled as he straightened in his chair, saying low enough to be heard, " _Lesbians_. Both of you are fucking wimpy. Ichiji said you guys got into a fight because Sanji was boo-hooing all the way home, last night."

"Shut up, jerk," Shachi whispered from the row next to them, holding tightly onto his mechanical pencil. "Just shut up."

" _You_ shut up! Stay out of my business, red!"

Law glanced at Shachi, who looked ready to say more, but then he noticed Law looking at him. Law shook his head ever so slightly, the boy frowning, but turning away with a heavy sigh. Law didn't understand why anyone would want to stick up for him without knowing his situation, but it made him feel sick.

He thought about what Niji had said about Sanji – 'boo hooing' probably meant bitching, considering the circumstances; Sanji was only complaining about being tossed out of the house without appreciation to his gesture. There was no way Sanji could ever be 'kind', to do something out of the kindness of his heart. But he did think about Sanji's surroundings, compared to his.

Stubbornly, Law refused to accept any sort of kind gesture from Sanji. Not with how tricky he was. But last night puzzled him, scorched at his nerves. What if, after he was finished, he threw away all that food? What if he'd said something to Rosinante besides the things that he had? _What if_ …?

What would Sanji gain from that, anyway? What was he doing? Law couldn't think the same way as Sanji – he was sure – and couldn't picture the outcome Sanji had been going for. When Doflamingo had returned home, the kitchen fragrant with the smells, he'd accused Law of accepting food from the neighbors', again, pissed that they were crying for charity. Rosinante had stepped in and shouted at him that Sanji was a good waiter, to which Doflamingo had been puzzled by, stopped in mid-rant by the other boy's name.

Law couldn't explain Sanji's motives, so he stood there, mute, fiddling with his shirt while Doflamingo pondered that. Given nothing to go off of, Doflamingo had dropped it. Rosinante had been huffy after that, angry with Doflamingo for being so "fucking stubborn all the time", and Doflamingo was uncharacteristically quiet, after that. As much as he loved his brother, this thing upset him, and Law could tell a storm was brewing up inside the man.

Law doubted Sanji would repeat the gesture after that. it was odd to see him go quiet after looking at him; that moment made Law feel uncomfortable. He felt bad, but he didn't let the feeling fully in. Because he felt there was a trap, and he needed to be careful. He could not afford to relax.

After school, he headed home his usual route, but he swore he heard Sanji yell, "Seven o'clock, asshole!"

He turned around to see where the boy was, wearing an expression of displeasure, but he didn't see him. Reluctantly, he fisted his hands within his sweater pockets and continued on home, feeling anxious sweat build up.

* * *

 **Guest** : Sanji is a mysterious boy; even he doesn't know what he's doing, sometimes, and there's a war inside of him. For both of them. With neither too jaded to consider outside what they know, they're basically fumbling with boundaries, unsure of what they're doing. Mr Hansen reminds me of an old high school teacher I had (eons ago), and I'd always suspected something funny about him. XD

 **GPEG** : He did…; ) And I swear, it's not what you think lol! Big Bro is suspicious Big Bro, who knows what his little bro is capable of; he knows Sanji is sneaky AF and tries to keep up. But he's losing power, here, and Ichiji knows it. That's why he's floundering as Sanji rampages his way through life with his bitching and unexpected gestures that may or may not be all that mean.

 **Sarge1130** : Thanks for reading and commenting on all the chapters! You are caught up :D It was totally unexpected that Judge forgave Sanji this, but admittedly, being blasted by four very loud boys all at the same time might've jumbled some of his senses, so he ended up relenting to shut most of the noise up. Ichiji knows what he's doing, and it's how he gets away with things (didn't we all have siblings like Ichiji XD) Sanji is trying to keep the peace, by causing chaos elsewhere; but he doesn't know why. Koala definitely got the worst of the attention, but Niji probably won't be doing that again. Those D boys are a little intimidating when they can be. : O


	12. Chapter 12

**12**

* * *

Sanji did not show up to Law's house at all that weekend. With the way Ichiji clung to him, he knew something was up. Why his older brother deemed the situation hazardous was none of Ichiji's business, and it caused a great deal of frustration in Sanji. With the lull in activities because of Niji's and Yonji's punishment, he had plenty of time to sit and think about things.

Saturday morning, his cursor blinked every so often to remind him it was still there, but his mind wasn't on his homework. He stared out the window of his bedroom, thinking about the situation. It made him uncomfortable that he thought about Law a whole lot more than he'd ever considered. He didn't understand why he did the things he had, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from doing so. Something had shifted from the usual tormenting methods to something he couldn't identify; after Luffy attacked him, Sanji continued holding his head high because even if he'd gotten his ass kicked, he wasn't going to walk around like a whipped dog. In fact, he continued picking on the kid, but he got faster at moving away when Luffy _could_ react. He grew up with three brothers that had always picked on him, and he had learned to be unabashed because of it, refusing to cow before them because that made it worse, because his father did not approve of weakness.

But it confused Sanji; where did the point of picking on Law turn into this curiosity? He found himself wondering, more than ever, what the story was with him and his parents; did it have to do with his little sister? What happened to her? He couldn't imagine losing any of his siblings, so he wondered if that loss had caused an incurable ache inside of him that turned Law into what he was, today. What made Law want to avoid his parents? Did his life after leaving them break him down so immensely that this was who he was, today? Sanji couldn't imagine being broken so intensely that life was only a day to day thing to _survive_. He thought that his life was dramatically difficult, but thinking about someone else's so unlike his was intensely eye-opening. He couldn't imagine waking up and facing empty cupboards, to taking care of a man with some unknown dementia, to surviving shouts and possible violence from a large man like Doflamingo, to being unable to speak properly because of it all.

Because his voice was a weapon, it was a difficult thought to process, and he wondered about that, too. Why couldn't Law speak very well? Did his thoughts jumble up and make it difficult to express, and why not express them? Was he taught to keep it all to himself? He remembered Smoker telling him that Law did this, and Sanji couldn't imagine that, not when he blasted his thoughts and feelings all over everyone, no matter if it were asked for, or not.

The differences between them were so immense that Law had turned from a nuisance to something fascinating, and Sanji kept thinking about him. He thought of the way he handled Rosinante, how Rosinante regarded him, how Law walked hunched and slouched and avoided eye contact, how he had difficulty speaking, but managed to speak to Sanji his thoughts. Even if his tongue fumbled with certain words, and he happened to stutter, he expressed himself enough that Sanji knew where he was coming from.

And yet, he couldn't seem to bring himself to be as mean as he was, before.

And that bothered Sanji. Why couldn't he? It'd be so easy to launch into him, to make Law's life even more difficult than before with all these new things to use against him, but Sanji _couldn't_. Was this _compassion_ he felt? Or pity? It was strange to feel something like this for another human being after he'd felt only for himself; after all, it felt like no one else had given him consideration; he always had to fight to be recognized and acknowledged. So to give someone else thought felt…odd.

He drummed his fingers on his desk, making a face. He shouldn't have to feel this way for someone else, and he had all these reasons why. Law was meek, timid, easily intimidated; he smelled, he looked ridiculous with his bedhead, with double earrings, and he had such _feminine_ hands - ! With such long, girlish fingers, with uncomfortably long nails – not like a girls', but longer than what was necessary – and when he'd held onto Rosinante, Sanji could hear them scratch the material of Rosinante's shirts. So Law must end up scratching the guy when he handled him, and how was that comfortable for a man? Sanji examined his own fingernails, scowling at them. He kept them short and clipped, so he found it absolutely disdainful for another male to have long nails. Why didn't Law clip them? Did he admire them, somehow? Sanji pictured Law sitting at his desk, staring at his own nails as he held his pen, as he pulled papers to him, the clickity-clack of his nails on the desk as easy to picture as a girl's fake nails tapping at the surface.

Then Sanji realized what he was doing, giving an angry growl as he focused on the computer screen to work, again. Seriously, was he giving all this thought to another male? As if it wasn't shameful enough that his secret had been discovered, was he really allowing himself to think this way of someone? He felt sick to his stomach, wondering if this is what Ichiji feared the more Sanji gave attention to Law.

He couldn't possibly be attracted to the kid – he was not Sanji's type. Sanji's type was a well-dressed man, or teen his own age, that dressed and carried himself well, with confidence, with easy going lightness that reflected in a good selfie or pose. He pictured men in three piece suits with groomed beards and thick shoulders, or teens with dogs and hairy legs and tank tops, and Sanji was frustrated all over again for thinking in this route.

Red-faced, he started typing again, focused on the topic that he'd highlighted in bold letters, and after a few minutes, found himself wondering what had happened of the dinner he'd started at their house. He covered his face with both hands, slinking over his laptop. He'd been such an idiot – the way Law had expressed his shock had gone completely over his head, but now that Sanji was thinking about it, he felt ridiculous. His intentions were truly that of stress relief; if his father was going to throw out perfectly usable food, then why couldn't Sanji use it to give to others to enjoy? Plus, cooking always gave him a peace of mind, and he'd wanted to try out a new flavoring of spices used with steak, and he really wanted to know what they thought of it.

But it hadn't occurred to him that he'd been insulting, or that he was unwelcome – he took that back. Of course he'd be unwelcome! After causing all that trouble with Law, why would Sanji think he'd be welcomed back into that house? He should've just gone over there, made him look over his essay and left; why do something so personal?

He _was_ an idiot, he supposed. God, _what was he doing_?

When he heard his door open, he gave an exasperated sound, glaring at the doorway. Ichiji stepped in with a tight frown in his direction.

"Dad! Ichiji's bothering me!" he hollered without any strength to it.

"Dad went to meet with some friends a few hours ago, dipshit," Ichiji told him, Sanji remembering belatedly of the fact with a shrug.

"Oh yeah. I just acted out of reflex. Disregard…"

"What are you working on?" Ichiji asked curiously, Sanji hearing the sounds of his brothers playing their Battlefield once more from downstairs.

He shut his laptop. "I'm looking at nudes. Why?"

"Shut up, you're gay."

"What do you want?"

"I thought you could use my help."

"If I wanted it, I'd ask."

"Is this an essay?" Ichiji asked curiously, stepping up to his desk and looking down at the papers piled nearby. Sanji slapped a hand over them, then pulled them to him defensively, not willing to compare grades with his smarter older brother. "Why are you so….?"

"I keep telling you, I don't want your help. All you'd do is assault my grammar and punctuation, even though it is absolutely perfect, then spend the rest of the day bitching about the topic. I don't want your help."

"It'd make your life easier if you'd just let people in, sometimes."

"You? _Hah_!'

"Listen, dad told me to check up on you because he feels you'll give yourself a heart attack working on a single paper, and he can't afford those medical bills," Ichiji said, faintly echoing Niji's thoughts yesterday. "He says you're 'high-strung' and overstressed, and he's upset that mom noticed. I suggested that Niji share with you his stash, and Niji is willing to do it with you."

"I don't do drugs, I'm a good boy," Sanji said haughtily. "I'd turn him in for good reward money if I were given a chance."

"Whatever." Ichiji rolled his eyes, then sat at the edge of his desk, Sanji huffing with exasperation. "Listen, maybe you should take up a hobby. Something that isn't associated with school in any way – "

"I did have one, but it apparently made me gay, so…"

"I was thinking of a sport. Martial arts is amazing for focus and technique, and I have a friend that holds free kickboxing classes at the same time as my practice, and he's willing to take you on. You like to kick things, right?"

"I do, but – "

"Self-defense will do wonders to your confidence and skill when pesky sophomores are attacking you."

"Is that what it is? I don't care that that happened! Just you guys, do!"

"Why don't you?" Ichiji asked, frowning heavily. "Don't you realize what sort of a joke you are, now?"

"Only _you_ care. I don't. I won't be seeing these people for that long, and I don't care what they think of me. Dad's sending us out of state for school, so it's really not like these things matter. In the end, we're still going to be above them, so why should high school memories matter at this stage in life?" Sanji asked, shuffling his papers before putting them aside, out of Ichiji's reach.

Ichiji knew he had a point, but it still irritated him how lightly Sanji took these things. "I've been thinking about things, and our reputation is steadily declining amongst our peers because of our actions. Once everyone realized that we can be dropped, it seems like challenges have been rising steadily."

"Like I said, I don't care –"

" _I_ care! We had a very good reputation, and it's being ruined because of that stupid Monkey kid! Once you dropped, then Niji, now – "

"I'd like to see if anybody can drop Yonji," Sanji laughed. "Tall tree-looking motherfucker."

"Why do you take these things lightly? Once people see that we can be easily defeated – "

"Look, Ichiji, we're not the goddamn Power Rangers," Sanji said sternly, leaning on his desk with both elbows, "we're stupid kids, and we've got too much power. Teachers are afraid of us because of dad, and kids are still too intimidated to really challenge us without it being about another person. It pisses me off that my grades are the way they are, not because of my efforts, but because of my name! The fact that we encourage other kids to band together to kick our asses says enough about our 'reputations'. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"I don't like how lightly you're taking this," Ichiji said slowly. "Being feared is a good thing."

"Being a 'dumb shit' isn't, and we're being dumb shits by doing things impulsively! All of us picking on one kid that's really done nothing to us is one of those decisions! I had the situation handled all by myself, but you guys chose to interfere, and now it's a big thing because he's now got a fan club that watched out for him! You guys made the choice to do whatever you did to his uniform, and now _you're_ paying for it, because _now_ there's more attention to it. I wouldn't be surprised that there is now a Vinsmoke Haters Fanclub out there, where kids tag each other on Twitter, or kik to notify one another of what we're doing," Sanji added with a sniff.

Ichiji stared at him. "Is that how you contacted Sabo?"

"Don't blame me for that!"

"You brought it up!"

"The only thing I did was get even with Niji for causing me shit, and that's nothing new," Sanji said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's nothing different from how Yonji and Niji gang up on me for something, and it's not different from you 'staying out of it' when I'm confronted by a bunch of kids!"

"But you told on your own brother, and that's unforgivable!"

"I didn't 'tell' on my own brother. All I did was use a few choice words, and there are _eleven_ other kids in the class with cellphones and ties to those D boys, and it went from there."

Ichiji reddened, straightening away from his desk. "But the fact is, you set Niji up!"

"It's Niji's own fault for picking on that girl the way he did. I'm surprised nothing happened to him sooner."

Ichiji stared at him in silence, wearing an incredulous expression. "Do you not have any loyalty to your own family?"

Sanji regarded him with the same expression. "How can you say that? When my own family doesn't give me that at all? It's shitty to want loyalty to 'the family' when I feel I don't have any given to me."

"So, you'd sell out your own brothers just to prove some ridiculous theory?"

"I have _never_ , in my life, had of _any_ of you fighting _for_ me. It's always me against you, all the time, without fail. Even to this day, it's fucking ridiculous how hard I try to be noticed. So don't even talk to me about 'having loyalty' when I'm the one getting shit on the worst."

Ichiji clamped his mouth shut, staring at him. Sanji returned the expression, not backing down from the furious look that he was being regarded with. After a few moments, Ichiji turned and left his room, slamming his door shut behind him. Sanji heard Ichiji call for the others' attention, moving down the stairway, and Sanji sighed tiredly, running his hands over his face with exasperation.

Not even minutes later, Yonji bellowed his name, Niji cursing up a storm. The stairway rattled with their incoming movement, and Sanji heaved an exasperated sigh of impatience, jerking away from his chair and standing out the doorway to bellow out to Ichiji, "This is _exactly_ what I meant! Thanks for proving me right, asshole!"

Later that evening, they were once again at Cracker Barrel, and Sanji sullenly picked at his food while the others tore into their meals with gusto, Judge sipping at his iced tea with consideration. They were discussing weight cuts, muscle training regimes, diet requirements and he had nothing to contribute. In his head, he sorted out different sorts of menus he could have been contributing to their requirements. Once he had a chance to talk, he spoke up.

"Dad, I can do meal preps on the weekends for their lunches and snacks," he said. "I have a whole bunch of ideas for a menu plan for all three of them, for their individual requirements – "

"It's fine if I have to shell out some funds for a take-out menu," Judge said, setting his glass down. "It won't cost that much if it's for three."

"But it'd be so much cheaper if I did it, and I really wouldn't mind if - !"

" _I'd_ mind," Niji complained. "I'd think you were sabotaging me with spit covered food, or something gross like that."

"Plus, I don't like the shit you do," Yonji contributed, Sanji scowling at them. "You'd make it look all pretty, and I'd get embarrassed uncovering my Tupperware to find it all arranged all flowery, with my veggies cut into weird shapes…the guys would make fun of me!"

"Oh my god, you guys are so lame!" Sanji muttered, leaning on a palm. "Dad, I wouldn't do any of that. Just give me a couple of weeks, and – "

"I've already submitted my order online, according to their requirements," Judge interrupted stiffly. "We had a talk about this. Even if it would benefit your brothers, I'd still find it a little unsettling that one of my sons were cooking the others' their meals. People would start to wonder how I was treating my children, as if they were servants, or something."

"That's bullshit."

"Watch your tone."

Sanji caught Ichiji's eyes, and gestured at Judge, Ichiji frowning at him in response.

"If you have anything to say, then say it aloud," Judge said, catching the gesture.

"We had an interesting discussion about family loyalty, today – "

Before Sanji could finish, Niji spit out, "That reminds me! DAD! Sanji's the one that got me into that fight!"

"Oh yeah!" Yonji cried, sitting his fork down.

"I didn't!" Sanji snapped at Niji. "Anyway, dad, we had a discussion about family loyalty, and I was just saying how everyone happens to gang up on me for shit when - !"

"Because you start it!"

"You're the main cause!"

"You don't fit into our ideals!"

"You wear _beastly_ prints," Ichiji added, giving his younger brother a disgusted look with his short sleeved flower shirt, Sanji looking down at it with surprise.

"If you would fit in, you wouldn't have so much trouble," Judge then muttered, signaling at them to lower their voices as the noise caused several diners to look over. "But you do your best to stand out to be noticed, and it backfires on you."

"Real supportive, dad," Sanji snapped at him, picking up his drink. "I'm trying my best to be supportive of all of you, and none of you are supportive towards me!"

"Why would we want to?" Yonji asked him, scrunching his brow. "You don't do things like us."

Niji grabbed the collar of Sanji's shirt. "Or look as cool as us."

"Or even step up for us when we need it," Ichiji added, picking at his salad. "Instead, you go behind our backs and pick fights with us and target us with sneaky, underhanded things, acting like we deserved it."

"I hate all of you," Sanji muttered bitterly.

"Now, boys, settle," Judge said with a tired sigh. "Can't we just enjoy our dinner in peace? But your brothers have a point, Sanji. If you would do more to fit in, I'm sure you'd be supported indefinitely. Did Ichiji talk to you about that kickboxing class he'd mentioned? I'm sure it would help you out a little with your bully problem."

"I don't have a 'bully problem'. And I like my free hour away from everyone."

"Sanji sneaks off to see his boyfriend, dad," Ichiji said quickly.

"Stop talking like that!" Judge snapped. "I told you before, that that subject isn't a joking matter! I don't want to hear anymore of it!"

"It's true, though," Niji murmured.

Yonji nearly spit out his food with a startled laugh, pointing one beefy arm to the side, forcing Ichiji to duck to avoid being hit. "Speak of the devil! Look! It's English!"

Frowning, Judge did turn in that direction. Sure enough, the three of them were taken to a large table near the windows, which allowed room for Rosinante's wheelchair, the man looking around himself cheerily. Judge's frown deepened as he looked to Sanji. " _That's_ the boy that's been bothering you?"

"NO!"

"That's the cause of ninety-five percent of his problems," Ichiji confirmed. "Will you have a talk with them, father?"

" _Oh my god_ , there's no need for that!" Sanji hissed with horror, seeing his father nod in response to Ichiji's question. "Dad, that's _not_ the problem! That's not the problem at all! It was that Monkey boy, Luffy, that's Garp's grandson! _He_ was the one I was fighting with, not _him_!"

"But to my understanding, it was because of this…'English' that the Monkey boy attacked you."

"That's the one, dad, that's the one!" Niji encouraged, kicking Yonji under the table.

"Yeah, but - ! That's not even relevant, now! Dad, it's not a big deal! Just leave them alone, there's no need to talk to Doflamingo about anything!" Sanji continued to hiss, looking horrified as his father turned in his seat to rise to his feet. "DAD!"

" _Stop yelling_!" Judge snapped at him, diners looking over once more.

"'Doflamingo'?" Yonji repeated, looking at Sanji skeptically. "Is that his dad? What kinda foreign name is that? Spanish? Is the entire world crossing over to our side? I thought there were travel bans for that?"

"God, you're so stupid…" Ichiji commented, looking at his youngest brother with disgust.

Judge fixed his jacket, buttoning up as he frowned heavily. "I'm going to go have a talk with them about that boy's behavior. Stay here, and shut up."

"Dad, stop! There's no need for that!" Sanji protested, rising up from his chair, face and ears red with mortification as Judge ignored him, and marched over to the table. There was no stopping his father now, and Sanji sat back in his chair, hands up to his face as all of them watched.

Doflamingo's face darkened at Judge's introduction, lips tightening as their conversation began, the distance between their tables too great for the teens to hear what was happening. But the more Judge stood there, the more upset Law's face turned and Doflamingo looked pissed. Rosinante looked puzzled as the waitress stood nearby, waiting for her moment to be noticed. Just as Judge made to turn away, Doflamingo said something that caused Judge to look back at him with a scowl, forcing him to nod, then turn away with a dirty look.

At that moment, Law made eye contact with Sanji, and Sanji felt troubled by the scowl, there. Doflamingo signaled for them to leave, the waitress looking confused, Rosinante protesting as the three of them left the restaurant. Sanji felt absolutely miserable at that point, turning in his seat as Judge returned to his. Sanji looked out the window, feeling that ugly emotion in his chest where he was only apprehensive as to what Doflamingo might do to Law; those sounds he'd heard the last time still remained in him, and he was absolutely positive his father had caused something terrible for Law. Sure enough, once the trio was standing outside, Doflamingo was talking fiercely to the teen, who looked intensely apprehensive, not making eye contact as he held onto Rosinante's chair with a tight grip. Rosinante looked bewildered, gesturing wildly, while a couple hastily walked around them. Then Doflamingo stalked off, car keys in hand, Rosinante settling his hands on his lap. Both of them waited on the porch in heavy silence as the old Cadillac jerked out from the handicapped parking spot with a slight screech of tires.

Sanji could not watch, anymore, turning in his seat, his head ringing with noise. He felt heavy in the lungs, stomach twisting with anxiety, and he didn't know what to say. Then he grew aware that his entire family was looking at him, their expressions waiting for a response. He swallowed tightly, feeling horribly responsible for another kid's trouble.

"Are you going to cry?" Yonji asked gently. "Because that would be _totally_ embarrassing for you."

"Why are you so _upset_?" Niji asked, bewildered.

"Your father stepped in on your behalf, minutes after you complained about not having any support," Ichiji stated firmly. "And _now_ you're upset about it?"

Sanji rushed out of his chair, ignoring their startled shouts. Pushing through the groups lingering in the store section of the restaurant, he made his way outside, the pair catching sight of him as Doflamingo pulled up to them.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized tightly, terribly distressed. "I'm so _sorry_! I had nothing to do with this! I had – I – they kept pushing dad to say something, and - !"

"Ah, waiter, number three," Rosinante said, looking cheered that he remembered him, Law frowning at Sanji. "I had a problem with my table."

"Your entire family can rot in the streets," Doflamingo told Sanji as he stepped out from the car. "If there was truly a Purge, I'd hit you all, first. You can quote me on that."

" _Don't_ – my dad, he's - ! He says everything and …I'm so sorry, _I'm_ the cause of this trouble, please don't take it out on him!" Sanji then said, gesturing at Law, all three of them looking at him with surprise.

Doflamingo gave him an insulted look, red-faced. " _What the fuck_."

Law was too shocked to say anything, looking so startled that his mouth fell open, Rosinante looking up at Doflamingo with accusation. Law also looked up at him with horror, cringing a little in response to the expression set upon him.

"What are you doing to him?" Rosinante asked, growing red in the face, shaking as Doflamingo looked down at him with worry, but also managing to look embarrassed at the same time. Before anything else could be said, Ichiji marched out from the store and grabbed Sanji's arm, yanking him back.

" _Idiot_!" he hissed, fingers digging into his biceps.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Sanji apologized to Law hastily, allowing himself to be dragged in. Ichiji pushed him to the side, into a display of hard candies.

"Dad is furious with you! _What are you doing_?"

"You guys are causing trouble again for the wrong person!" Sanji snapped at him, rubbing his arm. "Just leave him alone!"

"You made him out to look like a complete and utter idiot! What are you apologizing for? He was sticking up for you, dumb ass!"

"He was _not_ , he was making it even more difficult for him by sticking his goddamn nose into business he knows nothing about! All of you have these things twisted around and made to look so stupid! It's reflecting back on me!"

"You're causing your own stupidity, Sanji!" Ichiji yelled at him, people looking over with interest. He grabbed his brother's arm and yanked him along, nearly as red as his hair. Sanji jerked away from him to follow after him, starting to get a little bewildered by the things happening around them. But the others were making their way from the table, Judge looking utterly furious once Sanji caught sight of him.

His silence said more than enough for any words, and Sanji felt himself wilt a little, looking nervously at the others. Niji looked as if he were trying not to laugh, Yonji wearing an expression of concern, while Ichiji shared his father's expression. But they marched towards the door without saying anything, and Sanji trailed after them, uncertain of what to think. As they left the porch, all of them walked passed the trio parked near the stairs, Doflamingo helping Rosinante into the back seat, Law looking after Sanji with an unreadable expression. Once they passed and Doflamingo noticed them, he flipped them off, long enough for other customers to notice, looking interested in potential excitement.

Sanji didn't know what sort of face to make, so he turned away and followed after the others as they headed towards Judge's car nearby.

* * *

A/N: Just so it's out there… : )

Vinsmoke bros – 16

Law – 17

Smoker – 24

Rosi – 34

Doflamingo – 36

 **Omm** : (catches all the hearts and eats them up) Doffy's a hard working guy, trying to support a broken family. He's got a few 'quirks' that doesn't make him perfect, but he's trying. :D Ichiji is on a mission, and one has to wonder about his intentions; Smoker isn't that much older than Law in canon. I was pretty shocked to see he was only in his very early thirties. It's that cigar habit of his!

 **Guest** : Smoker definitely can't be counted out when the time comes; he's keeping a close watch on one of his charges. Sanji is just…raised amongst the wrong set of wolves. So when he does do something 'nice', it's not for a reason he understands, as stated here in this chapter. He's definitely the loudest bull in the most fragile of china shops; one day will come where he doesn't have to shout or yell to be heard. As for the earrings, it definitely caused them some pause from conflict. Both of them are nearly very similar in situation, and it scares them to understand this. (which makes for interesting writing for me! Haha)

 **Snowflake97** : They are! Finally, after much conflict, they're finally drawing towards each other peacefully. This chapter definitely will ensure that. Smoker needs to stop smoking! It'll probably help him sleep better and stop stealing away his youthfulness hah! As for Law's parents, they're definitely out there in the edges, and the days are flying by pretty fast…: O


	13. Chapter 13

**13**

* * *

At school Monday morning, Law's fingers were clenched into fists. He sat at his desk as the first bell rang, and students piled in. He'd replaced his uniform over the weekend, discomforted in the maroon collared shirt and sweater, thrift store slacks rolled over his sneakers, wanting the security of his black hoodie. He felt like hot breath had steadily gathered over the rest of the weekend to build over his chest, and he recognized it was only anxiety, having been given strength to a very difficult situation.

Doflamingo had been pissed after that incident at the Cracker Barrel; his extra money from overtime to treat them after such a rough week had been ruined by the Vinsmoke patriarch, and he just ended up more pissed at the man's haughty approach than the actual subject.

'Who the fuck does he think he is, coming at me like that?' Doflamingo had complained over his wine, after they'd been seated and served at a smaller establishment. His bad mood made everyone around them nervous, discomforted over the tall man with a vicious expression and a deep, angry voice. It only made matters worse that Law had slouched and refused to make eye contact, in a mode of defense because he couldn't seem to process properly what had happened. Rosinante was silently watching his brother, his face occasionally wiped by Doflamingo's vein-popping hand when it was needed. To everyone else, the pair of them looked defeated and vulnerable, but nobody could bring themselves to come forward.

Not that they had any reason, to.

'Telling me that my kid's a bad influence? Doesn't he see his own fucking prick of a brat, harassing us constantly, breaking shit at my place? If I didn't enjoy my job, I would have knocked him flat on the fucking floor. Telling me to 'control my kid'…'

Judge had approached them and warned Doflamingo that Law's harassment of Sanji had to stop; the 'proper authorities' would be alerted to the bullying of his son, and he was tired of hearing that Law was the main instigator to his own children's school woes. Doflamingo had been incredulous, and had immediately stuck up for Law, because he could not imagine the boy being any type of 'instigator'. Doflamingo had ranted and raved about Judge's approach and the way the boys wore such smug expressions while watching, but Law had noticed the way Sanji carried himself at that table. It was incredulous to see such a normally loud and pushy kid without any power to speak up, when Sanji was usually so unrestrained; it was like Law was seeing someone new for the first time.

But then to be approached by Sanji in that fashion, _after_ , only further shamed Doflamingo into insulted silence. Law had thought Doflamingo would somehow attack Judge once he had the chance, but the man's impressive restraint over his impulses had won out in the end. Law hadn't been in any danger in any way; he was just shocked that such a scene happened. But Law had been shaken to the core by Sanji's actions. He truly thought he'd caused Law harm because of his father's confrontation. So it only made Law that much more confused by Sanji's motivations.

Where did that sudden change of heart come from?

He couldn't quite let it go; whether it was because of their inability to avoid each other because of their surrounding circumstances, or if it was something otherworldly, he thought about Sanji's actions a lot over the weekend. The cooking, the terrorizing, the fights, the unusual way they kept getting drawn to each other… _all_ of it.

Clearly, as 'runt of the family', Sanji had to fight every step of the way to get attention, acknowledgement, and that part was clear, now. So it made sense that he applied this method to every other part of his life. Why he forced his way into Law's house, demanded answers, asked personal questions with recognizable weight that made Law identify with him; but it didn't make sense why Sanji would attach himself to Law.

Why was he defending Law against his own family? Trying to stop Doflamingo from doing any harm? Where did he even get that idea? True, Doflamingo did react out of frustration, but Law feared him because it was conditioned of him; anybody would feel that way because of how Doflamingo carried himself, how he spoke and reacted.

 _It did not make any sense_. It was conditioned of a human to demand answers, to want to approach and demand 'why' – but Law couldn't do that. He was not Sanji; he could not bring himself to get the words out properly, because his impediment held him back. He could not relax into thinking that this going to be 'okay', because his world did not allow that sort of thing. There was always something behind an event that twisted around to remind him of his place. It did not bode well to step outside of the boundaries he'd made of himself, after years of survival amongst those with ulterior motives. Foster families came and went, friends turned out to be dangerous, and blood families often turned on each other in emotional fits of reaction and temper – so it didn't make sense to relax when something was offered in covered hands.

This is what it was – Sanji was giving him something he'd yet to uncover, and Law wasn't sure if he wanted it. Law wasn't even sure if Sanji knew for _himself_ what he was attempting to give.

So when Sanji finally stalked into the classroom with a biting scowl, his brothers suspiciously quiet themselves, Law watched them apprehensively. He could feel his entire form tensing up – his back, his ribs, his shoulders, his fingers – and it was difficult to breathe. Nearly an expert at reading others' expressions for his own safety, he watched Sanji because Sanji was closest. But Sanji clearly avoided looking at him. He threw his bag on the floor and settled into his desk, and Mr Hansen looked puzzled because the others followed in the same manner. Apparently, quiet Vinsmokes made everyone nervous, because the entire class looked around with unsettled expressions. The two boys to Law's right looked apprehensive, faces drawn with worry as they openly looked from Sanji to Law, then at the younger Vinsmoke that sprawled in his chair with languid action, crossing his arms over his chest.

Mr Hansen looked at a loss for words, looking at them with nervous action before clearing his throat and launching into the lecture. Law's heart pounded nervously. He was quite aware of Sanji's every movement behind him – a heavy sigh, the scratch of pen on paper, the shift of weight in his seat. Niji cleared his throat noisily, but he sat rigidly in his chair and glared ahead of him. Not once did they speak to each other, or to anyone around them, and the heavy silence, something that should have been welcomed, only served as another form of torment.

Law could feel himself start to sweat, despite the unforgiving power of the AC. There was a trap, he knew, and because of their past experiences, he knew he'd be the target. Whatever had happened at the restaurant and afterward was the incentive to _something_. As the minutes passed, he could feel his anxiety and adrenaline start to build; he could feel the pressure of eyes on the back of his head. His mouth became dry. He couldn't imagine what could happen, but it knew _something_ would. He couldn't focus on what Mr Hansen was saying, all words leaving him becoming gibberish. Only when he directed something to happen, free study, did students slowly came alive. Everyone opened up their books and Law only stared at his, unable to unclench his fists to do so.

"Fuck," Sanji muttered, Law rigid as he waited for action to accompany it. Kids' voices lifted to a comfortable ambiance by that point, Mr Hansen frowning at his water bottle as he sat behind his desk, fiddling with the computer. Niji wanted to be excused, and he left without fanfare. Yonji was leaning over an unwilling student's desk to look at their book, so Law did feel parts of himself unfreeze.

"Hey, bring my sweater, next time," Law heard Sanji order very low, his voice coming from another direction. Unsure if he were even talking to him, Law just sat rigidly, vaguely remembering that Sanji had used it on him that one day. "Did you hear me?"

It was still balled up and stuffed in a box in the kitchen, Law remembered. He'd forgotten all about it. He thought of the blood stain left behind on it. Did Sanji still want it back?

Yonji turned in his chair to look back at his brother, then looked at Law. After a few moments, he turned back around, resuming his conversation with the hapless boy next to him. Blood rushed to Law's head, running Sanji's request back through his thoughts.

"It's fucking freezing in here, just give it back to me," Sanji muttered. "Or, did you throw it away?"

It took a few moments for Law to remember how to speak. "It's stained."

"Just throw some baking soda on it, throw it in the wash."

Law had trouble processing why Sanji's voice was so low and directed in another direction. It suddenly occurred to him that he was only speaking when he was sure he wasn't being seen doing so. Which could have explained Yonji's earlier look. He exhaled shallowly.

"I can't go over there, anymore," Sanji then said. "So just bring it to school. Drop it off by the Dumpsters."

There was relief hearing that; but at the same time, there was curiosity into it. Did Judge finally forbid Sanji from harassing him?

"Just get another one," Law finally answered, speaking in the same tone.

"Then I'll have to give up the reason why I need another one!" Sanji hissed at him. "Just bring that one! Who cares if it has your DNA on it? I'll have an excuse to replace it!"

The idea was repulsive to Law, causing him to furrow his brow. He was uncomfortable with the idea of Sanji wearing his sweater with his blood remnants on it.

"I'll just give you mine, and I'll have yours," he said stiffly.

"Don't make this even worse! Just give me mine back!"

Law wiped his forehead. His anxiety increased at the thought of Sanji wearing his sweater. He could go without it. But he would feel worse if the kid was wearing _his_ blood on his. The thought was comparable to wearing someone else's underwear.

" _No_ ," he said.

Before Sanji could say anything, Niji strolled back in, waving the hall pass around with flippant action. He looked right in his brother's direction as he headed back to his seat, leering at all the girls he passed. When he sank into his chair, Sanji gave another heaving sigh.

"It's fucking cold in here!" he complained.

"He did it!" Yonji exclaimed, whirling around in his cheer with obvious excitement.

"We've reached a new record!" Niji hollered, and it was as if a dam had broken, their unnatural quiet breaking with a sense of relief. While it didn't calm everyone, giving an opposite effect, at least when they were talking everyone was aware of them. Their silence just made things much too hazardous. "Three hours and eight minutes of Sanji shutting the fuck up!"

Yonji clapped noisily for Sanji, turning in his chair to do so, Sanji heaving a huge growl.

"Mr Hansen, transfer me out of here!" Sanji complained.

"We're overcrowded as it is," Mr Hansen murmured, looking entirely miserable.

"I'm telling dad what a good job you did," Niji told his brother, showing him his phone. "He's going to be so proud of you. You _do_ know how to keep your loudmouth shut."

"Fuck off!"

Mr Hansen took a drink from his water bottle, looking at the time. Noticing the clock as well, Law felt himself start to relax. Just a little. But he thought of the exchange just minutes earlier, and looked down at his sweater. When the bell rang, he took it off as everyone gathered their stuff. He turned to give it to Sanji, but Sanji snarled at him; not wanting to continue this any further, Law stuffed it into his opened messenger bag and quickly strode off so nothing could be said. He did hear Sanji cursing furiously, Niji demanding to know what was wrong.

Out in the hall, Law couldn't help but look over his shoulder, just to make sure none of them were following him. Maybe he was overreacting, but he couldn't be too careful with that group. Instead of going to his locker to exchange texts, he veered straight into a stairwell and took that down to the gym. He just needed some space; he didn't know what they were doing, what they were planning, but he didn't want to be caught up in the middle of it.

He didn't see Sanji for the rest of that day. It didn't feel like a relief to recognize that he was being ignored. He knew he was being ignored, because he did hear that Monkey kid yell furiously in the hall after lunch, so Sanji was around. But it kept Law on edge, waiting for something to happen the moment he relaxed.

When he got home later, Rosinante needed a bath, so while he sat in the tub, Law went and found the sweater. Sure enough, his blood had caused a brownish stain up in the left shoulder, down to the middle of the back. They had baking soda, so he rubbed that in, scrubbing a little. Then he washed it right after waking up, getting into an argument with Doflamingo over doing laundry so early in the morning. After it had dried, he saw that the stain was nearly all gone. Sanji was smaller than him, but he wore his in a size larger than necessary, so Law had no trouble pulling it on over his shirt. He didn't feel weird wearing it, but he was relieved that the problem was solved. Sanji could easily wash his and make it his, so there should be no more debt in that department.

During gym, he stood amongst the others as Garp gave a full lecture about the merits of running laps, the outside air nice and cool for the morning. Most of the group launched into complaints, Law frowning at the thought of being forced to run for a grade. He wasn't going to put that much effort into it. He considered a slow jog, for half a lap, girls already meandering into their groups while athletic boys crowded the line for a head start. But once he saw that there was a majority of kids that weren't going to bother with running, he walked his pace without siding with anyone, taking the outside track. He thought about Smoker's offer to see his parents, about Rosinante refusing his medication, about his eighteenth birthday. Birds chirped noisily from foliage near the track, and traffic coasted cooperatively from the highway in the distance.

Garp shouted with irritation at those that weren't making an effort, then shouted at the boys that were trying to jostle each other for first place.

Nearing the baseball field on the opposite end of the track, Law was just admiring a rabbit munching on the grass when he heard his name hissed from the closed concession stand that sat between fields. Startled, he looked over, seeing Sanji waving at him to come over. All that good feeling drifted away from him in an instant, but then he noticed that Sanji had hidden himself from view of the main building, as well. He hesitated, but Sanji's gestures turned insistent, and experience told him that if he continued to ignore the blond, then Sanji would find another way to bother him. So after a cautious look back at Garp, who had fallen asleep standing up near the finish line, Law walked over. He had to walk through the metal gate to do so, as the track field was separated from the open path by a short concrete wall that had the school logo and mascot emblazoned upon it.

"Give me my sweater," Sanji insisted once Law reached him, turning red as he gestured at himself. Law finally realized what he was gesturing at, seeing that his sweater was much too long on him, obviously oversized. "As much as I aspire to be this size, I'm not! It's fairly obvious it's not mine!"

"Your method didn't work," Law told him. "It's still stained."

"I don't care! I can make up an excuse!"

"I'd feel weird if you walked around in a sweater that has my blood on it," Law said uncomfortably.

"It feels weird walking around in another dude's sweater!" Sanji claimed, making to remove it.

"Garp will ask where I got it from when I'm supposed to be walking."

Sanji paused in the middle of pulling an arm out. Then he patted it back into place. "Then where do you want to exchange these?" he growled out.

Stubbornly, Law set himself. "I'm not giving the other one back."

Frustrated, Sanji's hands lifted to his hair. He then gestured wildly. "Don't you realize how weird this looks?"

Law shrugged a shoulder, self-consciously pulling at his gym shirt. "I'm sure you can hire a seamstress to fix it."

Sanji stared up at him with exasperation. "Let me dumb this down for you. I'm wearing _your_ sweater. You're wearing _my_ sweater. In high school language, it looks like we have a much closer relationship than people think."

It had never occurred to Law that this was so; he did not pay attention to social cues or situations, and, frankly, he did not care what people thought of him. He stared back at him, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't feel the faintest bit of shame or guilt in the situation; as far as he was concerned, they were both with sweaters, and that should have been the end of things.

"No one pays that close attention to things," he finally said. "Besides, no one saw me give it to you."

" _Thank god_! You did it right in front of them! I can't talk to you if they're around! Dad got pissed at me, and took away my phone and my driving privileges for this weekend's stupid thing, and this is why I'm sneaking around, right now!"

Law vaguely thought that was an unfair punishment for someone that was supposedly being 'bullied' by him. But he was starting to understand the way Judge worked, and why Sanji did the things he did. Despite his earlier feelings, he felt his shoulders relax just a little.

"No one will care if I have a stain on mine, when, if _you're_ wearing it, it'll be noticed right away. Besides, wouldn't someone ask you what happened and search for injury? If it were on me, then no one would care. Because I live in a dumpy house, and I'm poor."

Sanji reddened. "You love throwing that shit back on me, don't you?"

"Your words, not mine."

"I don't want this situation coming back to me! The one _you_ created when you stole my phone!"

"I don't regret it in the least, you little fuck."

"Oh, _shut up_." Sanji wiped his nose with his sleeve, prompting a look of disgust from Law. Looking up at him bitterly, he muttered, "Did you get beat up?"

" _No_ ," Law answered, a touch of amusement in his answer.

Sanji looked at him suspiciously, eyes coursing over his bared arms and legs, and Law felt self-conscious about it. Then Sanji looked vaguely relieved, exhaling shortly before adding, "I can't come over, anymore."

"Honestly, I'm not that mad."

"Oh, _fuck off_ …"

"Doflamingo hates you and your family."

" _Everyone_ hates my family, even me."

"There's ways to change it, though."

"I'm not pulling a 'you' and running from it. You don't see me running from anything, right?"

Law had to admit that he was a little jealous of the way Sanji stood his ground; there were times when he wished he had the same sort of vindictiveness to do so. But now, as the conversation seemed to flow easier, all those things from last weekend, this morning, came back to Law. And, as they usually did, they piled heavily over his tongue. He had a hard time sorting through them to find the appropriate thing to say.

"You?" he ended up asking gruffly, frustrated with himself.

Sanji frowned up at him, trying to understand what he meant by that. He added a gesture when Law took too long to articulate a simple question.

"Your father…that much…mad?"

"Oh, I didn't hear the end of it," Sanji said in response, giving a scowl to his white shoes. "All weekend long, I heard nothing but shit. But that's all it is, really. Words, words, words, and none of them – they're so stupid, all of them! Lecturing me about having 'family loyalty' when none of them even – no one listens to me! They don't let me talk or even go by what I want, it's what they want! So…yeah, he was mad, but he had no right to be! My brothers are so fucking retarded, they go and make things up and he listens to them, but every time I have something to say, they won't hear it, or they make up their own shit! That's how the entire thing started!"

Law tried not to look assaulted by the anger that gushed out of Sanji, but it was hard not to when all that frustration spilled out of him.

"This is so messed up, I don't know what I'm doing, anymore," Sanji then muttered, wiping his face. "I'm just feeling so…I don't know what to do. All this stuff is just so…"

"It is crazy," Law said, letting Sanji say it for them, because it sounded like they were on a similar page. Sanji shrugged moments later, unable to add anything else, because Law didn't seem to be attacking him for it.

"You smell," Sanji then complained, sniffing his sleeve near his armpit. Law gave him a look of disgust.

"You didn't wash it?"

"I didn't have a large enough load to do so!" Sanji snarled at him, red-faced once again.

Law just made a face, unsure of what to say other than to express his disgust with his expression.

"Don't look at me that way! _YOU'RE_ THE WEIRD ONE THAT WON'T GIVE ME MY SWEATER BACK!"

"TRAFALGAR!" Garp shouted, his voice horrifyingly closer than expected, causing Sanji to duck and scramble out of sight, Law to whirl around with startled action. Seeing the old man marching towards him, Law automatically froze. But from the corner of his eye, he saw Sanji slam up against the short concrete wall that separated the track field from the open area around the concession stand in an effort to hide himself. "What the hell are you doing?"

Mortified that he was caught, kids looking over with interest from the track, Law was wordless. So he just stared back at Garp with his tongue pressed up against his teeth, to stop any stutters that might come out on reaction.

" _Looking at bunnies_ ," Garp muttered with disdain, catching sight of a rabbit milling near the concession stand. "If you're done talking to them, then get back over here! There's nothing for you, here! There's no escape from my class! I will hunt you down the moment I notice you're gone!"

Law walked back through the gate, Garp walking alongside him, then launching into grandiose tales about the rabbits he used to hunt for as a kid. Sanji exhaled heavily, pale faced and utterly relieved that he hadn't been caught. Crouched low against the wall, he slouched his shoulders, listening to the sound of Garp's voice fading as they crossed the track.

"Shit, that was a close one!"

Sanji froze with horror as Ace popped his head out from the open concession stand window, looking away from him with a grimace. "I thought he found me!"

Ace then looked down at Sanji, remaining low inside, so that only his head and hands showed. "That was a really friendly conversation you two were having. So that kid _can_ talk. Weirdly, but he can."

" _You heard nothing_!" Sanji hissed at him, reddening from the neck up. Ace looked at his sweater with speculative action, and that color shifted to purple.

"It's noticeable, now," he stated with a smirk. "So, that's how kids are flirting with each other, lately. Kinky."

"Shut up! Shut up _shut up_ shut up! _Shut up_!" Sanji nearly screeched at him, but he lowered his voice, then pushed away from the wall to run back to the school, Ace frowning. He pulled himself out from the window, face screwed up with thought. He was very sure he'd heard most of it – the moment he'd heard voices outside of the stand, he'd woken right up from his nap, and had caught the conversation. He had so many questions.

"ACE! IS THAT YOU?"

Ace quickly scrambled out from the concession stand and raced to the main building before Garp could give chase.

: :

Later that day, while Mihawk allowed free study – all the teachers must be messaging with each other to follow the same schedules - Law picked at the wrists of his sweater, lost in thought. Now that Sanji had brought up the subject, being aware of it was a different thing. While the material was loose enough for him to be comfortable with it, it was shorter on him than he liked. He had weird feelings about the entire situation. Could people look at it that way? Wasn't that just some weird speculation kids tossed on each other, following society's way of mocking each other using homophobic expressions?

Or was this just _Sanji's_ way of thinking?

Not that Law fell into Sanji's type, considering the pictures he'd found. Sanji liked men in three piece suits and pretty boys with bright smiles. Law was nobody's type; he was well enough aware of what he looked like, so he doubted Sanji harbored any sort of physical appreciation of him. Sanji was always telling him to 'put effort into himself'.

But what if Law found time to take regular showers, fix his hair, fret over the extra grease of his face, attended to pimples when they showed up? What if he had the ability to wear nice clothes and new shoes? What then? What would it feel like to be _noticed_?

Now that he was aware of it, he glanced around himself surreptitiously, to look over other students around him. Mostly everyone was self-conscious over themselves, doing things to make themselves noticed and _not_ -noticed. Kids complained about pimples, lack of facial hair, hair that wouldn't cooperate even with hair gel and blow dryers. Boys sniffed themselves with caution, girls fretted over their uniforms' fit. There were kids that pushed themselves to the front for attention, with looks they'd created to capture focus; there were others that didn't have to try that hard and they knew it. He didn't fit into any of that; he just wanted to go unnoticed and he didn't care because he didn't feel valuable. But what would it feel like if he did?

Would he carry himself differently? Could he be noticed then? What sort of people would he attract?

In his experience, years of foster care had him falling into the hands of brightly smiling predators, friendly 'sisters', other teenagers in juvie that were comfortable 'being gay' behind bars because of explosive hormones and opportunities. The only type he'd had back then was convenience - but with how his life was, now, too depressed and miserable and busy with Rosinante, his hormones felt like they had been beaten down and buried under the weight of stress, so he didn't feel interest. It was hard feeling something when there was nothing to feel. If life was different for him, he was sure he'd be more aware of these things.

He looked at his nails, then closed his fingers, feeling them press into his palms. He would have to remember to cut them later on – chewing was off-limits, considering his personal hygiene. He was aware that he smelled – he hadn't had a chance to take a shower since Sunday, and he hadn't even bothered with purchasing any underarm deodorant in months because it never occurred to him to do so. His teeth felt grimy and thick with plaque, and he couldn't even remember when he'd last seen the dentist. None of them hurt, though. He ran his tongue over them, tasting the filth there, and frowned, hunching self-consciously.

Sanji always smelled like cologne, smoke and fabric softener. He was just like his peers, washing himself in it in an attempt to drown out the scent of cigarettes, and there had been times where Law had to fight the urge to sneeze because of it. But at least he tried; he was disliked, but he _tried_. Law wondered if Sanji worried about these sorts of things actively, or if this just another anal habit of his. He had good skin, though. It seemed like none of the Vinsmokes had acne of any kind, wearing clean faces and groomed hair, so maybe it was just all part of the presentation. Law reached up to touch the absurd length of his sideburns, remembering that Vergo had given him a haircut a few months back, Doflamingo complaining about the black mass that crept over his eyes. He was in need of another one, but he didn't mind the strands falling over his face, because it made him feel better, like having a portable face shield.

None of the men in Sanji's Pinterest photos looked like him at all, so maybe Law was safe.

Was that the right word? Like he would want that sort of attention from the kid, anyway. Sanji was probably the type that forced unwilling participants into his space by getting their attention somehow, though forceful action -

He thought of the way Sanji barged into his house to cook. Forced himself to Law's place. Picked and prodded at him, coming to him with intrusive hassle to read over his things, to declare Law his 'academic motivations'. Purposefully searching him out between classes with outrageous demands. Sneaking behind the backs of his own family just to get to Law. Inserting himself whenever it wasn't necessary, much to the chagrin of those around them. Always complaining that he needed to go through outrageous means just to be 'noticed'.

He froze in mid-comb with horror. There was a thought at the edge of his considerations, but it refused to materialize.

 _There was no way_.

Not him.

There was _no way_ that it could be him.

Law told himself he was only scaring himself after everything that had happened. He was getting things mixed up, misreading things. He swallowed tightly. He looked down at his sweater, reaching down to stretch the material at the hem. He _should_ give it back – it made sense, now, what Sanji was saying.

Nothing good could happen with this. Surely, Sanji wouldn't push things any further than harassment and occasional tantrums. Law was only imagining things. Then why couldn't he picture Sanji any differently when it came to courtship?

There were things both of them shared, similarities that stood out, identification with issues that were familiar, but it couldn't be _this_. He wasn't blind or indifferent to this, though. Law was quite aware of the games people played with each other to get what they wanted, and he hadn't been a virgin since he was thirteen, thanks to a foster parent that introduced him.

He stretched his arms out atop of his desk, staring at his hands. He was rattled. He was aware of giving off a victim vibe, but there was no way he'd allow himself to be Sanji's plaything. The idea was insulting. The last person to try anything on him was a foster parent that thought threatening him with a return to the streets if he didn't suck his dick would scare him into cooperating; but Law knew how to handle himself, and Smoker had his back. Law had experienced enough of that side of foster care to know what he was doing, and what he didn't want.

But things like that wasn't something a rich kid like Sanji would understand. There was absolutely no sex appeal to that kid, so even thinking of this made Law feel dirty. It made him feel disgusting for even recognizing it in the first place, thinking it was only his own experience that made him think this way.

'Every experience you've had won't shape you into the person you think are because of it,' Smoker had once told him, after removing him from a home that Law had reported to him. He'd been distressed after that experience, and had told Smoker impulsively that this would always make him feel like anyone could either take advantage of him, or even him using that experience to get whatever he felt like because he knew how. 'Your experience will always be different, but that does not mean you're like those pieces of scum. Adults taking advantage of a teenager's hormones does not make you a bad person or a filthy one. You're still a kid, and it's okay to be a kid. You have a right to say 'no', and you have every right to say 'yes' if you feel safe and _okay_ with a person _your_ age.'

Still, it just added to the burden Law felt he carried as being an unwanted person. For even thinking of it in this matter, coming to that conclusion, was his own experience. Maybe it wasn't Sanji's intentions at all.

But now that Law was aware of it, he was going to pay more attention to it. He would have to do everything he could to discourage it, from giving the wrong idea.

When the bell rang, he headed to his locker to exchange a couple of texts, anxious to get home. He had just shoved his History book in when an arm appeared from over his left shoulder to stuff material into his locker. The action was so unexpected that Law jumped and shifted away, not expecting to seeing Ichiji standing there, glaring at him.

He had his hand out at Law, waiting, and it took Law a few moments to understand what was happening. Ichiji had stuffed the sweater Sanji had been wearing into his locker, and was indicating for him to hand over Sanji's. Law's lungs felt tight as he faced off with the eldest Vinsmoke, blood rushing to his ears upon the knowledge that Ichiji knew what was going on. His arms and shoulders felt heavy with tension, and even _if_ he were being prompted to return the garment, Law could feel refusal rising up inside of him.

Not looking away from him, Law pulled his sweater out from his locker, dropped it on the floor, shut the door, and walked away. He counted on Ichiji not saying anything to draw attention to the matter, but Law was standing firm on his reasoning not to take the sweater back. Not with that stain still there.

"You know what this looks like, don't you?" Ichiji called after him, his voice surprisingly strong amidst the sounds of kids moving through the hall.

Law didn't care. He continued walking, breathing shallowly as he headed for the closest door, expecting those damn Vinsmokes to crawl out of the woodworks to accompany their older brother. But he knew – somewhere inside of him _he knew_ – Sanji was not involved, this time.

He made it outside, hands shaking, taking the quickest route towards the direction of his house. He wouldn't take the road, again. The long route would have to do. It was unnerving how that kid seemed to notice the smallest things. No wonder Sanji did things sneakily just to get some respite from his family.

Law did not know that Ichiji had been stopped in mid-pursuit.

"What are you so angry, for?" Ace asked him, long arm posted across the length of Ichiji's face, hand settled on a closed locker. He looked relaxed and comfortable facing off with the red-haired Vinsmoke, who only looked at him crossly. "It looks like those two worked out a problem between them, so why are _you_ butting into it?"

"Consider your own words," Ichiji retorted, looking away only because Sabo had picked up the sweater and held it up for Ichiji to take. Both of those boys looked smug, and other kids had noticed the confrontation, so they were lingering in the halls to watch. "That's not my brother's. I am only trying to retrieve what is his."

"If he wanted his back so bad, I'm sure he'd have no problem getting it himself," Sabo said, still holding it aloft. "They seem to be getting along fine, Ichiji. Why don't you butt out of it?"

"This is nobody's business."

"Yet, here you are," Ace said, gesturing at him.

"Yes, _here_ I am, standing up for my brother, as he can't seem to conduct himself in a proper manner, and he did pursue the garment a couple of times. That creep won't return what's his to him, so therefore, here I am, stepping in without alerting the proper authorities," Ichiji snapped, shifting his footing to a wider stance. "As that loser is already in bad standing with his own guardian, I saw it fitting that I at least step in to prevent any more trouble coming to him for his continuing harassment of my younger brother."

"God, you are deluded!" Ace said, straightening up from the locker. "What planet do you come from?'

"'Harassment'?" Sabo repeated incredulously. "It's the other way around! Surely, you're not that stupid!"

"Make sure he returns my brother's sweater," Ichiji snapped at him, pushing forward, shoulder slamming off of Ace's as he walked away, leaving the garment behind.

Sabo dusted off the sweater, shaking his head disbelievingly. "Is that kid serious? Ace, are you sure you heard what you did…?"

"Bro, I was right there. I heard it. Every word. And Penguin and Shachi said in first period Law refuses to give the sweater back because it has _his_ blood on it!"

"Why…?"

"I don't know that part. They said they were talking too quietly, but Law doesn't want to give the sweater back because it's stained with his DNA."

"Head wounds…do bleed a lot."

"Explains his nose, man."

"So it just confirms that Sanji _did_ do it. _He_ caused him that injury," Sabo decided heavily, folding the sweater over one arm.

"But why would Law protect him?' Ace asked, gesturing at him to get out of the way of several students coming down the hall, action resuming around them now that Ichiji was gone.

"Because of pricks like that! Retaliation!"

"When they spoke this morning, they were obviously _friends_ ," Ace reiterated. "They weren't threatening each other, they weren't insulting each other nastily – they basically asked if the other was okay over something that happened this weekend. That kid was _not_ threatened, the other kid wasn't threatening him. It sounds like they've been sneaking around to see each other. It was…almost cute."

"Don't say that. Please. Don't."

Ace shrugged. "I'm just saying, it doesn't sound like the situation is as people _think_ it is between _them_. But with _those_ guys involved, it's different. It's _those_ guys making it into a scene."

Sabo considered the sweater with a frown, then found himself digging in the pockets. He came away with gum wrappers, tobacco pieces, and a handwritten note about removing bloodstains from fabric. The meticulous print told him Sanji had copied this down from somewhere, intending on giving it to Law – but the paper was so crumbled and twisted that the option had been reconsidered. Many times.

He pursed his lips, stuffing it all back into the pockets. "Hmm."

"I don't know, man," Ace then said with a sigh, as they both turned and began walking. "It sounds like something we don't need to be involved with. It's a family thing."

"But that kid doesn't need to be involved in it."

"It doesn't sound like that kid minds."

"But other people do."

"Why is it anyone's business? He told everyone to 'fuck off', so we should 'fuck off'. Luffy backed out of it, but he's still got personal business with Sanji because Sanji keeps bothering him."

"We don't need to worry about Luffy. He's already proved his point once."

"This kid doesn't want our help."

"But _this_ kid might," Sabo said reluctantly, refolding the sweater neatly.

Ace sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Stay out of it. We don't know what's going on unless something is said, and it's not really our business! We can only interfere as bystanders if something happens. If they're sneaking around just fine, just leave it to them."

Sabo made a face. "But I'd feel weird if I wasn't able to return a favor."

Ace rolled his eyes, but he let it go.

* * *

 **Guest (RR)** : Those two are now becoming aware of their feelings – reflection was given some thought, here. All because of That Sweater! Sanji is changing (slowly), and their confusion is starting to unravel for them to understand what's happening. As was stated, Law is starting to grasp what's happening based on his own experiences, but it's up to Sanji, now, to get what he's doing! Next chapter should show more of this.

 **Snowflake97** : They definitely are! Slowly, but surely! This chapter showed what's to come, but it still won't be flowers and hearts (just yet). Judge does ruin everything, but it's up to Sanji to make the situation his. ; )

 **GPEG** : He is, isn't he? Always pushing himself into places he shouldn't be. Once those guys smell blood, they're definitely attacking at the wound to their satisfaction. If you take him in, please give him a kitchen. Maybe he'll feel a lot better!

 **Naghi-tan** : Work before fics! Very important! As for Law, it's going to take a lot of work, being that he hasn't really experienced that for himself.

 **Guest(2)** : (armpump) Whoo-hoo! Thanks!


	14. Chapter 14

**14**

* * *

The next morning found Sanji rushing from yesterday's last period to the office's Lost and Found, searching for the sweater. He'd taken it off in his last class, sure he'd left it atop of his messenger bag when he'd tromped off to a project away from his desk, and hadn't given it a thought when he'd left, certain he'd had it in his bag. Lost in thought over upcoming homework and frustrations over home life, it had slipped his mind until he started a load of laundry, finding it missing. But as one spot after another told him it was missing, he started to think that maybe Law had changed his mind and snatched it back – while this seemed plausible, he just wanted to make sure that he hadn't left it anywhere.

In the morning rush of kids hurrying to first period, he hurried about, not looking forward to spending another moment in the unforgiving freeze of the air conditioner. He figured Law was set to give his back, so he was counting on that as he headed towards that class. As he passed through the crowded hall, though, one kid pushed away from his locker and stood in his path with a frown.

Sanji paused in mid-step, and immediately scowled once he recognized Sabo. He instantly grew tense and set himself into a defensive stance because there was only one reason why Luffy's older brother would position himself that way. He remembered tripping Luffy in mid-run yesterday, laughing because the kid had his hands full with bags of snacks, hitting a trash can on his way down – running off once the kid jumped back to his feet. _Yeah_ , the kid kicked his ass, but that didn't mean Sanji was afraid of him. _Yeah_ , he _could_ stop his tormenting, but he was still sore about getting his ass kicked, so the cycle continued. Plus, he wasn't going to back down _because_ he got his ass kicked, because that was only showing weakness. So it made absolute sense for one of Luffy's brothers to step in for him because of his actions.

He glanced around just to make sure Sabo was on his own – it was uncanny how many kids banded together in support/defense of each other when it came to facing off with a Vinsmoke. How could Ichiji ever think that there was any possibility of them being regarded as 'weak' when it took a group of them to face them?

"What?" he snapped, fists at the ready.

Sabo just gave him a cautious stare before holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "I'm not going to fight you."

"Yeah, right. Like this is just a courtesy thing," Sanji said, smirking. "Get it over with. I don't want to be late for class. I've got shit to do."

Sabo said nothing, puzzled, but he held up the sweater he pulled from his locker, still neatly folded. Once he recognized it, Sanji grew even more suspicious, glancing around again, looking for a trap.

"You are rather high-strung, aren't you?" Sabo asked with concern. "I just thought you wanted this back. It's…yours, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's mine! Why did you take it from me?"

"I…didn't take it from you," Sabo said with caution, puzzled by the accusation. "I'm just giving it back. I don't expect anything from it."

"Nothing's for free, nowadays. What's the catch?"

"Nothing. Just…here." Sabo tossed it to him, Sanji catching it and giving another glance around. "All this fuss over a garment."

"How did it get into your hands in the first place? Someone snatched it from me, and now I'm expected not to think there isn't a catch?" Sanji asked, looking it over with extraordinary distrust. He looked for stains, tears, _sabotage_ of some kind, and even sniffed it to make sure it wasn't assaulted by something smelly. He checked the pockets, the sleeves for hidden pins – something that would indicate a trap.

Sabo was insulted by the intensive investigation, the first bell ringing shrilly. He had to wonder if Ichiji had said anything to Sanji about yesterday's confrontation. It didn't look as if Sanji was even aware of that, considering how much suspicion was given to the sweater. It made him wonder if Ichiji was working independently, but that didn't make any sense; surely, brothers born on the same day communicated everything to each other. He knew he couldn't go through a day without knowing everything about Luffy's and Ace's day, and they weren't that closely related.

But at the same time, he wondered if Ace was telling the truth; _were_ these two boys actually sneaking around together, and the Vinsmokes trying to put a stop to it? They were awfully hateful. He was going to give this theory the benefit of a doubt, because Sanji honestly looked puzzled with Sabo having the sweater in possession, and Ace did find himself in convenient places to hear much of the school's gossip.

"What did you do to it?" Sanji asked, still not trusting it.

"I didn't do anything to it. I…it…I just thought you'd want it back after it went missing. I'm quite aware that it's really not yours."

"It is mine!" Sanji insisted, vaguely embarrassed. "What, are you suggesting it's not? That I stole it? I didn't steal it!"

"Calm down. Jeez. There you go, you have it back. That's all."

Sanji still regarded him with suspicion, finding nothing wrong with it. But he didn't understand why this gesture was being given to him, and he still had hesitations thinking that it was being returned to him 'just because'.

"You're welcome," Sabo said sarcastically, shutting his locker after retrieving his books. "But for what it's worth, you're still not off the hook for that kid's face."

Sanji scowled, reddening a little. "What is this, blackmail? You're trying to set me up on something?"

"What's the real story, kid?"

"It's none of your damn business!"

Sabo then shrugged and walked off, Sanji looking after him with a sullen frown. But he hurried off to first period, making it just before the last bell rang, everyone already in their seats. He easily evaded Yonji's attempt to trip him by jumping and then kicking his desk into him, Yonji exhaling heavily as Mr Hansen snapped at both of them, and hurried to his chair.

In the middle of class, he pulled out the folded piece of paper he had in one pocket, smoothing it open to review the contents. It wasn't anything big – just a quick advisement on how to get bloodstains out of fabric. He could see that the stain on Law's sweater was faint, but still there. He figured if he gave Law enough advice to remove the color, he'd get his sweater back. He was really only trying to help himself. Then he brightened, remembering another item he'd brought, and he slapped his bag atop of his desk, digging out the Tide pen he'd brought from home. With the bag positioned as it was, he could apply the pen to the sweater without Niji or Yonji seeing what he was doing.

"Don't move," he said low, Niji laughing nastily as he threw some misogynistic comments at Camie, who looked ready to beat him with her starfish-shaped purse. Law stiffened, shoulder jerking in reaction upon feeling pressure there, Sanji kicking his chair.

"Hold still! It's a Tide pen!" Sanji hissed at him, showing him as Law looked over his shoulder. Sanji then hid it as Niji straightened in his chair. Sanji held still until he was sure Niji hadn't noticed him being sneaky, Law resettling in his seat with a flustered look as he'd confirmed the sight of the pen. Sanji noticed Penguin sneaking a look back at him, so he performed a winding gesture up against his opposite fist, until his middle finger appeared over his bag. Penguin just scowled at him.

"What are you doing, over there?" Niji asked Sanji, craning his neck to see that Sanji was flipping off a boy seated in his row.

"I'm looking for my tampons!" Sanji snapped at him, digging in his bag pockets as Niji scowled at him. "Do you have any I can borrow?"

"What? Fuck no. I hoard mine. Hey, Mr Hansen! Is it true tampons cost more than they should? Why do women cry about it when men have to pay for bandaids whenever they start bleeding?"

When Niji's attention was diverted by the sight of outraged female faces, Sanji started pressing the Tide pen against the stain on Law's sweater – _his_ sweater – and Law was tense, but he just sat stiffly. Sanji did as much as he could until he noticed the time, so he slapped the pen back into his bag, then hastily refolded the paper note. He wrote Law's name on it, crammed the gum wrappers he found his pocket around the note, and rose up from his chair.

He then piled the heap of trash atop of Law's desk, Law making to glare at him until he realized Sanji was patting down the note. Sanji then grabbed his bag and rushed off as the bell rang, Niji yelling after him. Law looked down at the wadded piece of paper with his name on it, unsure of what sort of face to make. But he piled the mound of trash over his notebook, and as everyone filed out, he threw away the gum wrappers, and pocketed the note. He opened it at his locker to see that it was instructions on how to get the stain out; he grabbed his books and walked off to the bathroom, taking off the sweater and looking at it. All he saw were vague wet spots over the stain, and so he scrubbed it in the sink, adding hand soap to do so. The stain did fade even further, and he examined the job carefully, before wringing it out as best as he could and tying it around his waist.

He made to walk out before he remembered the note, and grabbed that from the sink. More than likely, Sanji was only making these efforts to get his sweater back, and not engage into outdated means of communication. But once he settled in the empty classroom, he smoothed the paper out over his desk and crossed over the neat print, writing along the edges. He refolded it, and slipped it into his pocket.

At lunch time, knowing where every Vinsmoke's lockers were located – survival instinct to avoid these places – he slipped the note into Sanji's locker and went off to have a smoke.

When Sanji found the note returned, he opened it with his arms shoved deep into his locker, pressing the unfolded paper up against the back wall. He scowled at the content – " _It worked, but it's still mine_ " - found a pen, and crossed out Law's message, to write in open spaces with red ink. He then refolded it into a tight ball, grabbed his things, and made his way towards the library. He could hear Luffy making his way down, so Sanji started looking for an opportunity. Once he found one, he ducked into the library, hurled the note at Law standing near one of the shelves – making sure to hit him – then was out fast enough to threaten Luffy with a trip. Luffy caught sight of him, made to avoid the threat, and dropped a package of chips as he cursed Sanji fiercely. Sanji snatched the bag and hurried off, Luffy running after him furiously, Crocodile catching sight of them. He barked at both of them to stop running, then demanded a reason behind Luffy's pile of snacks while Sanji slipped into his classroom, free. He sat down, heart racing unexpectedly, wondering if Law would respond to his note. He crunched on his chips noisily, unaware of how annoying he was being to others around him while he thought about this.

In the library, Law rolled his eyes at the scrawled print, pulling out his pen from his pocket. He scratched out Sanji's, " _You want to wear my clothes so bad, just ask for my donations_ ," then wrote, " _b/c everyone wants to know where I shop for little girl clothes_."

On his way to his history class, Law slipped the note back into Sanji's locker and continued on, shaking his head. _What the fuck am I doing_? He thought of himself, unable to understand why he was doing this, when his brain told him he should've just thrown the thing away. He was doing the very opposite thing he'd vowed to do, and it made him feel guilty. Then he supposed he'd figure it out once he heard a response from Sanji; after that, he would for sure just tear up the note and throw it away.

For last period, Sanji retrieved his note and took it with him to his last class. He sat down at his desk without pulling his bag away from him and read the newest content, then looked outraged. He scratched out the answer, using the back of the paper to write a new line. On his way to the bathroom, he slipped the note into Law's locker and hurried off, burning with embarrassment.

At the end of the day, Law shoved his books into his locker, found the note, and read the back. " _Probably under all that thrift store trash, you_ are _a girl_!" He wanted to get out of there as soon as he could to avoid another situation like yesterday, but he wrote a response: " _Which is why you keep picking on me, b/c you're fucking confused_." He slipped that into Sanji's locker and hurried home the long way, very wary of Ichiji popping out from the shadows around him.

Sabo passed Ace ten bucks, sighing heavily while Ace grinned, pocketing it.

The next morning, Sanji found the note, and read it, turning bright red after it registered. He slashed his red pen over the entire back. Then took a quick bathroom pass to run down to the gym. He wadded the paper up, venturing in to look for the older kid. He saw that they were all lined up to watch Garp perform one-armed pushups, all of them complaining about it, so he then turned and headed for Law's locker. He crammed the note into the slot, then hurried back to class.

When Law opened his locker and saw the wad of paper sticking out, he pulled it out and opened it up to see 'FUCK U' scrawled over it, in savage strokes that tore through the thin paper. He shrugged, tore up the note, then tossed it into the trash on his way to class.

Behind him, Ichiji made to retrieve the torn shreds when the entire trash can was kicked out from his reach, and he growled, looking over to seeing Shachi give him a nervous look, slinking away. Because the sound caused Crocodile to look over, Ichiji strode away. Not even moments later, Penguin dashed by, grabbed the pile, stuffed it into his pocket and joined Shachi as they quickly headed to class.

Sanji fumed the rest of the day. He was not 'confused' – confused meant that he didn't know what he was doing, and he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. There was a person in his life that kept _challenging_ him, and he was responding because why should he remain silent? He'd never remained silent on anything in his entire life!

And how could Law even say that Sanji was picking on Law because he was 'confused'? This wasn't that situation at all! Law was only saying that because of the stupid phone incident, so of course he'd hit low just to prove a damn point.

But not only that, _why_ even say that? Why even go that route? Why try and flatter himself, suggesting that Sanji was picking on Law because he was 'confused'? Law was _not_ his type! If Law _was_ his type, then Sanji would not be doing all these outrageous things to get his attention – he'd certainly treat a guy a lot differently if he were trying for attention. After all, what made Law think he even had a chance with Sanji? His background, his entire makeup was everything Sanji looked down upon. He would never give a guy like Law a second look, and he felt like slapping him for even making Sanji think like this.

After all, Law was poor, he wore second-hand clothes, he never fixed his fucking hair, he had three black heads on his left cheek and one glaringly obvious white head near his right hairline, and don't even get Sanji started on the ones he could see just inside the collar of his shirt, where the uniform fabric captured the most sweat. Plus, Law's nails were gross, and he had such femmy hands, and Sanji bet he didn't brush his teeth because he talked _away_ from people rather than _at_ them – considering that they were smokers, of course Law had nasty breath, because Sanji never saw him chewing gum, and –

Then, his sweater smelled like cigarettes and BO and Sanji couldn't stand it – plus, his speech impediment made it difficult to understand him, sometimes, and Sanji wanted to yell at him to speak up or repeat himself, or just spit out the words and quit stuttering; also, he had this habit of slouching, and crossing his arms, and he never smiled or shifted expression and always looked like his puppy had just died right in front of him –

 _Also_ , Sanji added to this list, counting off his fingers, his eyes were always so darkly ringed, like he never slept, and he had horrible handwriting _and_ , despite all these ugly physical things, he had people that watched over him like vigilant guardian angels, and a man so lost in his dementia that still remembered to come out and love him, and…

Sanji slumped over his desk, frowning sullenly at the window.

 _Yes_.

Yes he was.

Because everything made sense when it came to wanting Law's attention; to measuring up to his brain, to the constant battling because Law might not stand up to a lot of people, but he sure did hold his ground with Sanji; seeing him treat Rosinante with the utmost care and dignity despite their living situations, and even if Law was all the things Sanji didn't like and noticed constantly, he _noticed_ _it all the fucking time_. He noticed how thick his black hair was, the color of his eyes, the length of his lashes, those fucking femmy hands, that deceptive slim form holding absurd mannish strength to hold, lift, carry a man bigger than him…

 _Damn it._

The things Sanji did just wasn't normal to anyone else, and he knew he was out of control with it, but, _damn_ it, he just wanted to be noticed. That was all he could do to explain his outrageous actions. It all made sense, now, the things that he did and how he'd responded to Law, and Sanji was ashamed of himself. Glumly, he covered his head with both hands, then sat straight up with such a pop that kids looked over at him curiously.

Fuck, it all made sense, now. _All of it_.

He had a crush on the other boy, and it was so fucking _obvious_ \- !

He was so mortified.

He was picking on the kid like a little boy would with someone in preschool, or something.

 _Oh_ , Sanji was so embarrassed.

" _Fucking hell_!" he shouted as he stood up in his seat, startling those around him, Zoro snorting out of dead sleep with a spastic jerk. Sanji was sweating, flaming red, and short of breath, and he was sure he was having a panic attack. He heard the teacher call for him as he raced out of the classroom, running for the cafeteria.

Oh, it had been so obvious why he did all these things. Why the hell did he _just now notice_? Did other people know? Where they talking about him? Is this why Ichiji monitored his every move? _Did Law know_?

After acquiring a paper bag from one of the startled lunch ladies, he took to a corner of the cafeteria and used it to breathe in, settling his heavy pants, racing heart and sweaty skin. He felt dizzy, almost like he was going to faint. His head buzzed noisily, and he jerked the bag away to try and take deep breaths. Once he was aware of voices behind him, he turned and raced down the hall, ignoring the startled shouts behind him. Running outside, he raced for the concession stand. He stood behind it, and breathed into the bag once more, feeling his heart thunder noisily. Once he had control of himself, he slumped against the wall with a low groan, utterly mortified.

 _God, he was an idiot_.

How could he have not noticed his own fucking behavior?

Was he that far into denial? He couldn't be. He knew what he liked and had some ideas of how to get it, but this was fucking ridiculous. He bumped his head a few times with a fist. Panic raced through him. He had to compose himself. He had to calm himself. He had to put his face back on, and he had to keep this a secret. God, he was horrible with secrets. If he couldn't even hide his feelings, how was he going to hide _this_?

He crumbled up the paper bag, tossing it through the window of the concession stand, then held onto the edge of the concrete counter, stepping away to look down at the pavement. In that position, he counted the ants at his feet, smushed a few. When he straightened up with an exhale, he was once again looking into Ace's freckled face.

"Problems?" he asked, Sanji purpling as Ace slid the crumpled bag across the surface to him. "Breathe into this."

Sanji mangled some curse words together and raced back to the main building, leaving Ace to stand there with a bewildered look, wondering what alien language he had just used. Once back inside, Sanji hurried back to his classroom, everyone looking at him with immense confusion and disgust at his disheveled appearance.

"It's okay!" he called, waving his arms about. "I had a panic attack. Tweet it, snap it, kik it, blog it, whatever, I don't give a fuck, but make sure you tag it so I can approve of it."

"Thank you, Mr Vinsmoke, for sharing that information with us," Ms Kalifa said dryly, pushing up her glasses. "That was very brave of you. May I resume teaching, now?"

"Carry on," Sanji said with a dismissive sigh, sinking back into his chair, pushing his hair from his face. "I'm working hard towards my first heart attack, and I must say, it's working splendidly."

"You're such a spaz," Zoro told him from nearby, shaking his head.

"Shut up, moss! I hope to be dead by the end of second semester! My plan is working brilliantly!"

Zoro rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

But Sanji stared out the window once more, pulling at the collar of his shirt in an effort to generate some cooling effect against his sweaty skin. Fuck, he was pissed. How did he _not_ notice? He wondered what he was going to do with this acknowledgment. He had to hide it from Law. If Law knew, he'd probably tell everybody, and - !

No, Law wouldn't. He'd probably be mortified, too, knowing that this was the reason behind Sanji's meanness. Oh, Sanji couldn't have Law finding out. It would probably prompt him to run away again, escaping to the streets just to escape _him_. He kicked the chair in front of him with frustration, Shirohoshi giving a sharp cry and a small sniffle.

After school, Sanji ran for his locker. He couldn't look at Law, not right now. Not at this moment. He would probably 'spaz' out on him and say all the wrong things, and he really needed to get himself composed and centered and train himself to not be so fucking obvious for first period, tomorrow! He flung all his books into the locker, grabbed what he needed, and then raced out to the parking lot.

Ichiji was waiting for him, and he gave Sanji a dull stare as his younger brother reached him, panting heavily.

" _Gross_ ," he commented, disgusted at the sight of his sweatiness.

"Shut up. I had a panic attack in the middle of class."

"This semester that hard on you?"

Sanji nodded, throwing his bag onto the ground, digging for his cigarettes. After he had one lit, he sat down on the grass instead of the table, Ichiji lowering his book to give him a confused look. It was the first time he'd heard of his brother having a panic attack, but he didn't doubt that he had them. It only gave weight to just how 'high strung' he truly was. His eyes fell on the sweater that Sanji still wore, and frowned tightly.

He cleared his throat and set his book aside. "That's not yours, is it?"

"What isn't?" Sanji mumbled around his cigarette, eyes closed as he soaked up the sun and ignored the sounds of people climbing into their car.

"That thing you're wearing."

"You are the second person to ask that, and what the fuck? Why are people noticing what I'm wearing? Of course it's mine!"

"It's much larger than what you usually wear."

"I'm fat, and self-conscious."

Ichiji resisted the impulse to fling his book at the back of his head. "That's not your sweater. Whose is it's?"

"Yonji's or Niji's, I don't know. I did laundry the other night, I must've mixed them up. _Who cares_?"

"Do you realize what this suggests? Each of you wearing each other's clothes?"

"That we live in the same house?" Sanji dashed ashes away and looked over his shoulder at him. "What the fuck."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I confronted that boy yesterday, and it was Sabo that gave it to you, wasn't it?"

Sanji's lips tightened. Now it made sense. "So, Sabo stole it."

"No, he took it when that kid ran away from me. Him and that Ace fuck interfered."

"It _two_ D boys to get in your face, and you're worried about us not having any power," Sanji snickered, holding the bottoms of his feet together, knees splayed out. "What a _loser_!"

'This isn't funny! Once dad finds out what you're doing, he's going to - !"

"Oh, what? He took away my phone, he took away my permit, pretty much told me I'm not like the rest of you, and doesn't care about the effort I put into my own work. Trust me, there's nothing more he can do to me, Ichiji."

Ichiji frowned at Sanji's flippant attitude. While it was true, it bothered him that Sanji was not responding to his threat. Had his little brother finally reached a point where openly defying them was his next step?

"Besides, wearing this thing gives me another goal," Sanji said, pulling at it to sniff. He made a face. "I'm going to be tall. That's my goal. If I'm wearing my goal, then I can reach my goal."

"You're obviously brain damaged from that panic attack. You're not thinking clearly. You're not thinking of the consequences to your actions, and you're not aware of how it'll affect our family. That worries me."

Sanji sighed heavily head tilted back with exasperation, but that caused ashes to fall on him, and he hastily swiped at himself to brush it away. He didn't feel like talking anymore to Ichiji about 'family loyalties' when it was obvious none were applied to him. And, besides, if his older brother already knew what he was about, then it was pointless arguing with him; Ichiji was just like one of his grips – relentless, painful and capable of rendering physical harm. He would just have to keep him at a distance, not give him any opportunities, and, for fuck's sake, not give himself away any further.

When they finally arrived home, he went immediately to his room. Exhausted, he threw himself onto his bed without changing out of his uniform, but he did manage to kick his shoes off. He laid there for awhile, facing away from the door, listening to the sound of his brothers' voices, and picked at his duvet. He wished he could talk to his mom or sister about this predicament, but he wondered if they even cared. They probably wouldn't want to hear about it, anyway, considering they had their own problems to think about. They probably thought he was just like his brothers, forceful and misogynic, who thought of women as if they were second class citizens or objects, and he didn't feel enough confidence to even hint that he wasn't.

He sighed heavily, stretching out an arm to pick at another section. He wondered what Law was doing, and if he were truly relieved Sanji wouldn't be around to harass them. He wondered what kind of girls Law liked, but he couldn't imagine how anyone could be attracted to him. That kid was like a walking barbed wire fence; he didn't invite anybody in, even if they smiled and greeted him cheerfully. That kid had so much potential to be noticed, and he didn't even try; that annoyed Sanji, prickling at his nerves with force, and he was jealous because even if Law didn't try, people flocked to him.

Of course, Sanji acknowledged he'd built his own pit with his own actions. He was loud, rude, and made obnoxious comments, and now that he thought about it, he wondered why. But the Vinsmokes had made a name for themselves as being 'terrorists' and he had to fit their mold because it was the world he was shaped in. He had figured along time ago that people didn't like people like him, and there was no changing it.

He wondered what would happen if he changed himself. Then snickered. Like that would happen. People would not give him a chance – they already knew him as is, so what was the point of changing now? As he'd told Ichiji, he didn't care what people thought of him, as they were all temporary. But what if he had a chance to move away from it, become a different person? A second chance at something different. If people didn't know him, then they couldn't peg him as he was now, and he could have a different outcome.

He found himself looking forward to that.

He wondered if Law had these thoughts, or if he were already set in his ways, as well. He wondered what sort of life he'd had to be so closed off; more than likely, with his impediment and circumstances, he wasn't even going to try. When he turned eighteen, what was Law going to do? Run away and live by the river, somewhere? Or run away to a different town and try to start over?

He made a mental note to ask him about it.

He closed his eyes when he heard movement outside his door, frowning. Feeling eyes on him, he waited for whoever it was – most likely Ichiji – to move on and leave him alone. Judge had gone over their evening schedules with them, and Sanji would have to stay home while they went out to their various practices, with Ichiji being the one in charge of dropping off and picking up. Being alone with their dad made Sanji irritated, but he'd just use the time to surf the internet, or something. Look up cooking videos or peruse fashion sites.

He heard movement away from his room, and opened his eyes. He continued thinking about things, picking at the duvet, until Niji posted outside his door and made comments about him being a 'baby' over things, prompting Yonji's response from downstairs, and Sanji was forced to get up and verbally defend himself.

Later on, when it was just him and Judge, Judge asked him to sit in the living room with him to watch the evening news.

"Ichiji told me you had an incident, today," Judge said heavily, as if by doing so, he was beginning an arduous chore. Fox News' anchors launched into loud arguments about current events. "You had a panic attack? He's very concerned about you."

Sanji snorted, rolling his eyes. He combed through his hair with fitful action. "I was freaking out about my grades. I saved myself, though. Ms Kalifa was very impressed. I was angry about getting a 97 when I thought I had scored higher than that, and thought it brought down my average."

"Try and focus a little harder, next time. That's not normal, you know. Your brothers have ways of settling their pre-sports anxieties, perhaps you should talk to them on proper breathing exercises. Making a scene in front of your peers won't give you a reliable reputation," Judge commented idly.

"I don't care what I look like, dad. _Nobody_ cares."

"Well, we do."

"Only because it gives our name a bad, er, name."

"It's worrisome because people will speculate about us in a negative fashion."

Sanji snorted, picking at his pjs. He'd changed into them earlier, knowing he wasn't going anywhere else. "As if they don't already…"

"I don't know what else to do with you. You constantly refuse our help."

"Dad, telling Niji to share his stash with me isn't giving good advice."

"But it might help. And it's not good if you're having anxiety issues over the constant pressure of catching up to your brothers. If you have to try so hard, then give up."

"My grades are just as good, if not better, than the others. Discounting Ichiji, because he's an alien."

"Stop talking badly of him, he only wants to help."

"No, he doesn't, he just wants me to remain miserable."

"That's your own viewpoint. You can be rather dramatic."

"Yeah, well, that's expected of us faggots."

"Don't refer to yourself as one, I won't have it," Judge snapped at him, whapping him on the knee with his knuckles. "All of you must stop staying that of each other! It's repulsive!"

"But it's already been decided, hasn't it? After that stupid thing with my phone!"

"It's a fucking lie, and don't convince yourself that you are! You aren't! You like girls, and that's the end of it."

"Well, they don't like me."

"Because you don't apply yourself properly to them."

"None of us do, all of them hate us at school!"

"It's only for show," Judge said, waving that away. "Once they're older and they see how successful you all will be, complete with our money, they'll be throwing themselves at you. By that time, you'll know what your priorities will be, so you can pick and choose from the bunch of them for someone younger and more impressionable. I don't want any of you making any mistakes so young, so dating right now is forbidden. I suppose it's a good thing they hate you all, then. One less worry for me to have."

Sanji wondered if other parents spoke this way to their kids. He wondered if Doflamingo lectured Law on dating, or if he was one of those 'cool' foster parents that let Law do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted. He sullenly watched tv in silence.

"Oh, and the next time you speak with your mother, tone down your complaints," Judge added. "She has expressed concern over your attitude."

"She's my mother, she's supposed to listen to my complaints."

"We wouldn't want her unnecessarily worried. Women tend to fret heavily over things that don't involve them, and their weaker constitutions forces their imaginations to come up with silly things. I don't want the trouble of arguing with her that you are fine."

"It's not like she cares that much, living in another state, and all. Besides, what she going to do, anyway?"

Judge sighed heavily. "Why can't you just agree to agree, and stop finding argument with every little thing?"

"Details, dad, I need details. If I don't ask questions, then what's the point of learning?"

"You can be so difficult."

"Then why don't you sell me, and get a rabbit, instead?"

Judge rubbed his temples, Sanji snickering at his clever use of a movie line. Both of them sat in silence, and Sanji felt uncomfortable doing so. He felt like he had nothing to say to his father, nor feel any inclination in sharing anything with him. His father always led a conversation for him, made him feel worse about himself and never seemed to come up with any compliments or praises for what he did do. He felt invisible, sometimes, or awkward because the things he liked to talk about wasn't something acceptable with Judge. He felt pressure talking to him. So when they fell into silence, Sanji just stared at the tv, wondering what Law and Rosinante talked about when it was just them. He was jealous of their relationship.

"Stop that," Judge said after awhile, Sanji looking at him questionably. "Grinding your teeth."

"I need a smoke."

"Go outside, then. I'm going to call in our order to that Chinese restaurant Yonji likes."

"Can I cook for us, one day?"

"We'll talk about it, then."

Sanji wandered off to do so, heading to the back porch. He wished he had his phone, listening to the neighbors kids play on their trampoline, smelling various grills at work. He thought about what happened today, examining various details and imagining different scenarios. Based off his conversation with his father, there was only one thing left to do.

At lunchtime the next day, he caught up to Law at the baseball field, the kid looking as if he'd missed sleep a week in a row. Lighting up a cigarette, Sanji crouched near the home plate, tracing the shape of it with his thumb as Law yawned quietly from the wooden backboard. With his back to him, Sanji felt better about things. His heart raced nervously, stomach twisting sharply. He wondered why he didn't have any ulcers.

"So, uh, something weird happened yesterday," Sanji muttered to homeplate, still tracing while his cigarette dangled from his mouth.

He didn't hear anything from Law, so he glanced over his shoulder to see if he were even paying attention, or even heard that Sanji was talking. The older kid was looking at his nails, fiddling with his cigarette, wearing eyes so sleepy that they looked in danger of closing at any moment. Sanji wondered if the kid drank coffee. He looked back at what he was doing.

"I know no one will care, or even listen, or whatever, because it's me, and no one wants to hear what I say, or even cares about what I feel, and I know I just totally blast everyone with everything that I think or feel, regardless if people even ask, so I know this one thing won't even matter. But I'm not capable of hiding anything, or even keeping secrets, and it's – like, I'd give myself away, anyway, so it might just be better if I said it out loud and get it over with and just…like, I'm not even expecting things, or even…I'm just going to say it and move on, and it'll be okay, because the things I say don't matter anyway, so, here goes," Sanji said, blasting his words out in a rush, uncaring if they actually resembled a structured sentence, if it even made any sense. He was just going to speak his mind, knowing no one cared to listen.

He took a deep breath and exhaled shakily.

" _I like you_."

Oh, the words felt so much lighter leaving him, exiting his mind and chest with hot weight that he hadn't even known he'd carried, so when it left him, he had to exhale again, sure that this foreign, uncomfortable feeling was completely gone. But his ears burned and his jaw clenched and his tongue went dry, ashes falling from his cigarette to the dirt, and he heard movement from behind him, but he was scared to see whatever expression was on Law's face.

His heart thundered nervously – he wasn't expecting anything back from the kid, but he knew he needed _something_ in response.

It seemed like forever when Law finally spoke.

"Fucking weirdo," he said before turning and walking away, leaving Sanji to continue sitting there, feeling relieved that this was the answer he'd expected. It didn't make him feel any better, though. It hurt because he _knew_ what Law was going to say, _how_ he was going to react, and he knew, _logically_ , that there was no different answer or response. He expected it, and he received it, and that was how it was. Life wasn't going to change now that it was out there; it would just continue on, being the same.

He brushed his hair from his eyes, staring down at homeplate for a long time. His cigarette finally burned down to the butt, ashes tumbling away, and he thought about how he felt, now. In a way, he was relieved for Law's response, because he spoke what was normal for both of them, and it was a weird situation, and it would be even weirder if something went differently.

But then again, a very small part of him had hoped for something different.

* * *

 **A/N** : Okay, I'm officially bushed.

 **RR** : Only when absolutely cornered does a scared animal snap back! ; )

 **Naghi-Tan** : Thanks!

 **GPEG** : Sabo is only concerned about the truth, and since pretty much everyone feels Law is vulnerable and Sanji is so…Sanji…it's hard to think otherwise – sometimes, Sabo doesn't believe how Ace gets all his gossip haha! Ichiji is the like the trusted hitman of a crime family; he's going to clean up the mess to reflect what's 'right'. D:

 **Snowflake97** : Their sneaking around in this chapter certainly didn't catch the notice of others ;D OR SO THEY THOUGHT.


	15. Chapter 15

**15**

* * *

When Monday came around, Law wasn't sure how things were going to go down after Sanji dropping that unexpected bomb on him. But while he was wary of him, sure that this kid was an undiagnosed mental case, Law had other things to think about. The deadline Smoker had given him was coming up, and it was really the only thing that took up his every thought.

He felt absolutely stressed about the unification process; the evaluations, counseling and mandated court processes behind it were extensive. After he'd been placed in foster care years ago, he'd done his share of running away to escape the system, and by the time he was found and placed back into it, he'd made his opinion obvious; he did not want to go back to his parents. They'd tried then, but after he'd left a foster home in the middle of the night to avoid this very same situation, that was when he'd been involved with the home invasion. A year in juvie kept him from their reach, and when he was finally settled in the Donquixotes' home, Smoker must've felt there was a very slight window of opportunity for this. He couldn't run away – not when he was so attached to Rosinante. And it was their last chance, too, considering his birthday was coming up.

Law dreaded it – he knew what sort of picture he presented, and he felt his parents would not want a part of it. He was practically a criminal – he might as well as held a gun to that old man's head himself. He was in no shape or form that little boy he was when he'd left; there was nothing of him that they could recognize, and he was absolutely sure they'd change their minds upon seeing him.

What hurt the worst was the faint glimmer of hope underneath all that layer of pain, where he felt that they would take a chance; but reject him once he started settling in. After all, he had his own mind, his own opinion, and while he couldn't speak it clearly, there was surely to be a problem with it. After all, his parents were highly educated people, whose jobs were to speak clearly, to be exact and sure of their decisions. He wasn't any of that. He was broken – he could leave them, again, too, didn't they understand that? Things couldn't be the same between them. Did they think it'd be easy to talk to him? Did they think that he'd like the same things he did as a child, have the same motivations? Did they think to recognize him after all this time? What would they think upon seeing him, this tall, gangly kid that refused to look up at the world? Maybe they'd seen him in court a few times, getting sentenced, having his case looked over by a judge that had to decide what to do with him after he'd fled the last home; Law didn't know, he never looked up.

His stomach ached, his mouth dry as he tended to Rosinante, carefully rinsing shampoo from his hair. They could hear Doflamingo and Vergo in the living room, watching a show, and the smells of dinner lingered in the halls. Rosinante was sulking, glaring at the water as he sat hunched on the shower chair, arms crossed self consciously over himself. Law wasn't sure what had made the man angry, but his mood had flipped after dinner, so Doflamingo thought it would be helpful if he went to bed earlier. Law was, admittedly, unfocused on Rosinante, and Rosinante probably recognized it. He kept glaring at Law, fists made, stubbornly refusing to answer when Law asked him questions.

When Law made to dry his face, Rosinante slapped his hand away, then pushed him, snapping at him. He wanted to do this on his own, and Law gave him the washcloth, sitting on the closed toilet. He washed as Rosinante struggle to make manageable gestures to clean himself, reaching over to steady him as he leaned over too far. Rosinante snapped at him again, then flung the washcloth at him, water splashing over Law and the sink mirror behind him. Law sighed heavily, wiping his face, wringing it out over the tub and giving it back to him. After a few moments, Rosinante sat there sullenly, upset over his own actions, over not being able to express himself properly. Law reached over to help him out of the tub, but Rosinante wasn't having it; so Law sat back down and waited for the man to settle.

When he didn't receive an answer to having his nails clipped, Law just stopped talking and focused on the Thursday meeting Smoker had set up. He would come get him before lunch, treat him to a proper meal after. He'd visited the house on Saturday, and while Doflamingo was embarrassed by the state of the house, it wasn't a dangerous mess. It was only the state of affairs of an occupied household. Rosinante had recognized Smoker, and had immediately latched onto Law, certain that Smoker was going to take him away.

'Fifteen minutes, tops,' Smoker had assured Law, passing pamphlets on the unification process to him. Rosinante made to examine them suspiciously, Law letting him take them while he focused on Smoker's words. 'Don't take off.'

The pamphlets were simple; it explained how a family reunited, where the origin group had to perform a range of services to a judge's satisfaction before they could even get in touch with their kids. There would be trusted workers on hand, to monitor the situation; they would have a room to themselves in the child services building downtown, where they could meet for a certain amount of times before it was decided that he could be removed from foster care and placed back into his parents' care.

'I don't want to do this,' he muttered bitterly.

'It's not up to you, kid. But we can decide from here what can happen. Look, things won't happen right away – we're not going to just toss you back into that household if we don't think the conditions are to our standards,' Smoker had said. 'In fact, it probably won't happen at all. Don't stress yourself over it. Time is limited. But it would help if you had some contact with them to decide for yourself what you want to do _after_. Strongly consider other options, please.'

'They didn't want him in the first place, that's why I have him,' Rosinante had said bitterly, reaching up to rub Law's hair with affection. 'Why is he forced to do something he is not comfortable with?'

'Our mission is to keep families together, not apart. And they've done their part. In the end, he is still _their_ child,' Smoker had told him. 'It's up to us to determine whether or not he should be allowed home.'

'What happens to me if he leaves?'

'Your brother takes very good care of you. He's got that part figured out. But Law is still, legally, a child himself. It's time _someone_ takes care _of_ him,' Smoker had stated firmly. At that, Rosinante had looked guilty, and he'd dropped his hand, Law looking at him with concern. But that had been the starting point of his moodiness.

Law couldn't tell what Doflamingo was thinking; Doflamingo did not talk about his personal feelings or thoughts to Law, basing his actions only off of Rosinante's needs, but if Rosinante forgot about him as often as he did, due to his illness, then it might make it easier for Doflamingo to just replace Law entirely.

With such an uncertain future ahead of him, Sanji's confession just did not factor into Law's thoughts at all.

So when Monday came along, and his mind was still a million miles away, everything was a blur. Thursday was approaching fast, and he felt a heavy weight in his chest as every hour brought him closer to it.

How would his parents look at him? What would they say? Would 'sorry' even matter this late?

What would _he_ say? Could he say anything? His tongue felt so dry and useless, pressed up against the backs of his teeth, unmoving; his entire body jittery with anxiety. He couldn't eat, his stomach in hard knots, his guts churning with acidic force that it left him uncomfortable long after school ended. Did they change in all these years? Or did they still look the same? The last time he saw them was in court, and while they looked devastated that he was being kept from them, all he remembered feeling was satisfaction and anger. They deserved to feel that way. They deserved this – after everything they'd been through, they glorified one child while pushing him away, making him feel worthless, so it didn't make sense that they'd change their minds, now.

But that thought wasn't fair to Lamie – she didn't ask for the illness that consumed her. He felt guilty towards her spirit, knowing that it wasn't her fault that they broke apart as they did; but shouldn't his parents have been more mindful towards him, after? Consider him precious, rather than pushing him away?

All of his anxieties returned in a nauseating grip that left him sweaty. His stomach ached, and his tongue felt heavy all over again, pressed up against the backs of his teeth with dry weight.

During lunchtime on Wednesday, he sat against the backboard of the baseball field, trying to calm the jitters in his hands as he lit a smoke. But he didn't smoke it. Just picked at his slacks with too long nails, knowing that his parents would judge him for it, but it was hard to think of one's self when Rosinante took up so much of his concentration. He made a note to cut the blasted things before bedtime, scratching the material of his pants with the tips, hating the sound that it made, but finding it somewhat soothing at the same time.

He was only aware of Sanji nearby because Sanji just couldn't _stop_ talking. So his voice was just noise up close, filtering in through the rushing jumble of thoughts regarding his parents. Law didn't know what he was saying, just that he was saying it. His hands wouldn't stop shaking, and ashes drifted over his slacks. He remembered to smoke, brushing ash away while leaving a warm, black trail over the material.

"Rosinante nooghgh ffoooglaho up?" Sanji said, and because he'd said Rosinante's name, Law blinked, all his thoughts crashing down around him. It was silent. For a moment, he panicked because he'd thought that maybe Sanji had said something of Rosinante that he hadn't yet heard.

"Is Rosinante alright?" Sanji repeated, once he realized he had Law's attention.

For a moment, the question didn't make sense. Law pictured the man sitting in his rocking chair at home, watching Spongebob, or whatever, just waiting for him to come home. So for Sanji to ask that didn't make any sense at all. He frowned at him, uncertain of how to answer that.

"Because you're not even here," Sanji added, frowning at him. "You're here physically, but you're not even here. So it has to be about Rosinante, right? It better not be drugs, or I'll kick your ass. Or, did you have a stroke, or something?"

With a concerned expression, Sanji then whispered, "Did Doflamingo beat you literally senseless?"

" _No_ ," Law said impatiently, realizing he had nothing left of his cigarette. He rubbed it out onto the dirt. It took too much to talk; that single sound was just too much effort. He felt drained right afterward, and promptly forgot what he was doing. Would his parents say anything about him smoking? They were doctors; of course they wouldn't. Not that it should matter any to them – if they'd cared, maybe they would've had a different reaction all those years ago…

"But are _you_ okay?" Sanji then pressed, scrunching his brow. "Maybe you should just go home for the rest of the day. No one's going to notice."

Law didn't answer because he didn't really hear the question. He just wanted to be numb for awhile.

"Look, did what I say last week bug you that much?" Sanji then asked on a huff, swinging his messenger bag around to rummage through it. He gave Law a sullen look, plucking out another cigarette. "Because it shouldn't. Obviously, my radar doesn't work. The confession is meaningless, and it's not going anywhere if you're not like me. So don't trip out because of it. How traumatizing it must have been, for you to trip out of reality just to escape it! For fuck's sake, I didn't think anything would change because of it."

He then lit the cigarette, and handed it to him. "Here. Anyway, not like it's going to affect things. It's not like I'm going to fucking attack you, or something, stupid. This is something I have to figure out on my own. I hope you're not showing up to home like this, because what if Doflamingo says something? He hasn't, has he?"

The nicotine did taste different, and while it wasn't as harsh as his, it didn't immediately affect him with the needed rush.

"This stuff is weak," he said thickly, tongue feeling impossible to move as he frowned down at the long stick between his fingers.

"Are you sick?" Sanji then asked him, peering at him again. "I'm serious, did you have a stroke? Because we have to go see the school nurse, and you need to go to the hospital."

Because it was implied that his speech was difficult to understand, Law felt that crushing feeling of fear; there was no way he could speak to his parents like this. They'd openly judge him, say something, be disappointed that he hadn't improved –

"HEY," Sanji said firmly, too close to him. "Law, I'm serious. Are you okay? Should I go get help?"

"No," Law told him again, cigarette to mouth. "Leave me alone."

" _No_ , what if you die? No, what if something happens, and _I_ end up on the back end of it, again? Like, I rescued you once, and look! Everyone _still_ thinks I did it! Oh my god, they know we smoke together, they'll probably put together a story about how I brain damaged you, or something – I could go get a teacher, and - !"

"No, I'm fine!"

"No, you're not! Are you just tired? Hungry? I could go get something for you to eat – what to drink? Something? Here, how about ibuprophen?"

"I said, I don't want anything!" Law ended up yelling at him, throwing his cigarette at him. Sanji moved quick to block it from hitting his face, but Law was instantly remorse because that action could have seriously hurt him. Sanji just frowned at him, still digging in his bag. " _Leave me the fuck alone_."

"Give me a good reason why," Sanji said defiantly, finding the bottle he was looking for. He dumped a couple pills onto his hand then capped it, threw it back in to retrieve a nearly crushed water bottle. He held them both out. "Or otherwise, I'm telling someone you had a stroke. They'll send an ambulance for sure. You want that? _Huh_? An ambulance showing up to the school, ready to load you the fuck up in front of everyone?"

Law stared at him, jaw tight. _He would_ , this Vinsmoke terrorist, he _would_ say something like that. Those pills would destroy his stomach, with the way it churned. He couldn't quite vocalize that; it was impossible to speak. So he hit them out of his hand, instead. Sanji frowned at him.

All the anger, frustration, fear and heaviness of his thoughts hit Law all at once. It built up in his throat, coated the back of his tongue, washed over his teeth. It made his eyes sting, and his ears burn. But he could say nothing because his tongue was too dry and heavy, and it wouldn't move from the back of his teeth. If he couldn't answer a simple question, how was it going to be in front of a roomful of people that included his parents?

He finally noticed Sanji was writing something in his notebook, and when he turned it to face him, Law saw that he'd drawn a hasty picture of a stick figure with some of his characteristics.

"Point out where the bad man hurt you," Sanji said, tapping at the picture with his pen.

Law wanted to hit him – _he had no goddamn idea_ – but with the way he felt, Sanji would be out of the way before he could even connect with him. He scowled off into the distance, feeling fed up and exhausted and so fucking angry –

"Then, at least write it. _Write_ how you feel," Sanji then insisted, gesturing at the notebook with his pen. He held both of them out, then made a persistent motion when Law just stared at him. "Do it! Or I'll tell! Do you want Rosinante finding out later on that you're at a fucking hospital?"

" _I fucking hate you_."

"Yes or no would be fine."

"NO!"

"Not good enough. And you know why it's not good enough? Because you're slurring. So it's not just that! _Write it_. Just write it! I have a shrill, loud voice, and it will get louder if I end up shouting for help, and everyone will look out and see that you're in some kind of trouble, so fucking write it so I don't misunderstand what's going on with you!"

Law snatched the notebook and pen from him. It was so ridiculous. This was so ridiculous. Why was he here? Why didn't he just walk away? Why was he giving this stupid kid this attention?

Because Sanji would follow through on his threat. Because Rosinante would be in that chair for hours while Law was forced to the ambulance, because he couldn't fucking vocalize the things he was feeling, and why he was feeling them, and this stupid kid was just - !

So he wrote furiously. His tongue felt so fucking dry. So heavy. Pressing so hard against his teeth that it was difficult to swallow. After, he threw the notebook at Sanji, but Sanji caught it and read it.

He gestured for the pen. Law had just written, 'Stressed. Frustrated. Tired.'

'Why?' Sanji wrote, showing him before flipping the page.

Law didn't have to tell him why. Sanji didn't need to know the fuck 'why'. They were not 'friends'; he was not his worker. So he didn't make a move to write anything. He glared at him. Sanji caught the expression, giving him a bored look in return.

"You may as well as go all the way," Sanji told him firmly. "Because you're feeling 'stressed, frustrated, and tired', this illness of yours could have been the cause of your slurring. How do I know you're not physically incapacitated because of all of this? Still a health concern, right? It's my right as a law-abiding citizen to report another citizen in distress."

Trapped, Law then wrote an answer. 'Because Smoker is making me do it.'

When Sanji read it, he exhaled shortly. "Taking you away?" he asked aloud, passing the notebook back.

Law shook his head with a hard gesture.

"Then don't do whatever he says."

Grudgingly, Law wrote out, 'I don't have a choice.'

"What scares you about it?"

Jesus fucking Christ, Sanji _had_ to be that fucking nosey. Law didn't have to answer that. He didn't have to tell this kid anything. Sanji did not need to know his business, and it was certainly everything and nothing that he could use against Law. But he tapped the notebook with such insistence, and was so goddamn stubborn, that Law wrote, 'Everything.'

"You _must_ because you're fucking terrified," Sanji said aloud. "If it didn't matter shit all to you, then you wouldn't be so fucking tongue tied. Whatever it is, you know you're not going to get approval, and it pisses you off inside, because you've already convinced yourself of it. I know how it goes."

For some reason, that interrupted the hot, fuzzy anger of Law's thoughts. Like a train's screeching to a halt at the station, the noises just stopped. He ended up dropping the notebook at Sanji's feet, pen following suit. The boy picked them up without a comment.

"This is an easy problem to fix, you know," Sanji continued. He smoothed the pages of his notebook down, keeping his hands occupied. "Why would it hurt so much if you knew how it was going to end up in the first place? Unless you cared differently, which you do."

Law didn't say anything. He couldn't. He was going to be rejected, again, he knew. He knew because he was all these different things, and no one wanted a damaged product; already slightly dented in the first place, life just continued to break him down, and there was just no way another human being could even accept that. There was work putting something back together.

If they couldn't even fix their dying daughter, how could they think to fix him?

So lost in thought, he hadn't realized that Sanji had figured out what it was that was bothering him. The blond's face brightened with understanding, then darkened at the same time, because it was obviously a very powerful subject for Law. But it explained everything. For some minutes, they stood in silence.

"Isn't there a process towards that?" Law heard Sanji ask him. "I mean, it's not like foster care is forever, right? Aren't kids put back into their first home? Like, I watched the news and all that, so…do you think you'll be murdered, or something, if you're returned?"

Law shook his head, but he wasn't sure what it was in response to. Sanji's question, or the fact that he was having this stupid conversation with him in the first place. It annoyed him that Sanji figured out what was bothering him. _Why was he still standing here_? He ended up sitting back down in the dirt, against the backboard, staring off into the distance. Not even moments later, Sanji followed suit, putting his notebook and pen away.

"I'm assuming that things have to be put under review or whatnot to allow kids back home, from the place they were taken from. So I bet they have conditions to follow, right? Rules?"

"Yes," Law answered roughly.

"Then they must have followed all the right ones. I mean…putting yourself in their place, like…they have to bear all the shame of losing their only kid to the foster system, for some reason or another, and then they have to go through all this stuff to get him back… that's a lot of effort put into it, isn't it, a lot of fighting? Do you think anyone would have done so if they didn't regret their actions?" Sanji asked, thinking about Judge. "To be honest, I think my dad would let me go as to not tarnish our goddamn name. _Your_ parents are going through all that just to get you back. Unless they're wacked out perverts, or something…"

Law wanted to hit him. His fist vibrated with the restraint needed to keep from doing so. Sanji noticed, giving him side-eye, but he didn't back away. That was the thing with this kid; he was so conditioned to physical violence that he didn't even blink when threatened with it. Unlike Law, who automatically drew back because he was tired of being hit, or handled with force.

"Then, no? They're not? Then they must be that desperate to want you back, right? They're willing to risk their names and reputations to do so. So…maybe this thing you have to do…it's not comfortable, but it's necessary. It could be closure or a new beginning for you. It's up to you. Stop being a pussy about it, stand up to it. Stop running away."

Fuck, Law wanted to hit him. He wanted to knock out all his goddamn teeth so he couldn't talk, anymore. He wanted Sanji to shut up, and stop drilling all this judgment into him, like Sanji knew what it was like to be in his shoes. He wanted Sanji to just walk away and leave him alone, stop pestering him. Stop talking to him, stop seeking him out, stop doing this to him. He wished the kid would just get hit by a bus, or something, just to leave Law the fuck alone.

But…he thought of the pamphlets at home, the process it took to get the unification process started. He thought of the court visits, the counseling, the services that needed to be completed by both parents. The 'tarnish' to the Trafalgar name, of two people that lost both their children in one year. One was still alive, but did they truly want him back?

He lowered his head, picking at his slacks. He was not that little boy, anymore, as he so aptly told Smoker. He wasn't. But his parents were capable of hurting him again, just by their reaction tomorrow, and he had to acknowledge this. He took the lit cigarette from Sanji, his hand shaking, again. But when he breathed in the smoke, it had a different taste to it. His chest didn't feel so tight, anymore.

"What if they wanted me?" he ended up asking aloud, more for himself.

"Don't give yourself up so easily," Sanji muttered around his cigarette, heels pressed together, legs spread in a wide 'v' while he rested his hands on his ankles. "Make them work for it to prove themselves. It's easy to believe a promise and a lie together when it's given with a familiar face, so you need time to let them in."

"But aren't they already working hard for it?"

"Yeah, but it should take more than _one_ fucking visit. Just because you passed an interview doesn't mean you know what you're doing."

Law nodded. "It'll give me more time with Rosinante."

"That's something I don't know anything about," Sanji said with a sigh. "I can't help you, there."

"What made you think you were helping, anyway?" Law asked incredulously. "You stood here and threatened me with shit, until I said anything. I fucking _hate_ you."

"Yeah, sure, join the club," Sanji said airily, looking at his watch with a wince.

Law noticed the time and jerked to his feet with a start, looking back at the school. With how silent it was, their after lunch period must've already started. Far longer than what he normally took to get to Miss Nico's class. Rushing to class at this time was just pointless. He looked back at Sanji, unsure of what to say.

"When do you see them?" he asked, not looking in Law's direction.

Was it really okay talking to this kid about these things? But he already knew.

"Tomorrow."

"Does Doflamingo need to be there, too?"

"No." All Law tasted was ash. He tried to work spit up to help lubricate the inside of his mouth, but he felt dry. He couldn't remember drinking anything, recently. He couldn't remember if he'd eaten anything for dinner. It wouldn't do if he fainted during that meeting. He had to take better care of himself, somehow. "You're so terrified of him, it's funny."

"That fucker is ten feet tall, who isn't?"

"He's not that tall. He just has a loud voice."

"And big hands!"

"You _would_ notice that, wouldn't you?"

" _Shut up_! Look," Sanji then said on a huff, fiddling with his bag, "just…for what it's worth, don't let this situation scare you into zoning out, again. Because…a lot of kids are…concerned. And they're looking at me for it! I get that it's none of their business, but, you're letting them think that it's something they should step in to help. Everyone here is so fucking helpful of each other, it's disgusting."

"I haven't noticed…"

"Of course not! But everyone has been…vigilant in making sure that you're not being hassled. Because it's obvious you're not even here. It's real inconvenient for me to keep saying I have nothing to do with it, and it's obviously coming from home, because you stink so bad…"

"You're the only one that notices."

"Other kids are much nicer than I! I'm the only one that has the balls to say anything! If people think there are problems, they're going to talk about it. So if you don't want people noticing your business, make an effort to present yourself in a way that doesn't attract attention."

Self- conscious, Law sniffed at himself. He was aware of the constant sweating and agitation that produced a smell, but he was suddenly more aware of it now that he knew people were talking about it. "I guess…it's pretty bad."

"I have this," Sanji said, digging out a travel sized bottle of cologne. "It helps."

"That shit smells worse."

Sanji purpled, then stuffed the sweater back into his bag. "You're so fucking stubborn."

He finally sat in silence, glaring off into the distance. Law just looked at him from the corner of his eye. He was annoyed by how insistent the kid was, trying to throw his opinions and intentions around like they mattered. But there was always a hidden circumstance to those who tried to 'be nice' to him, and their intentions were never good. With what Sanji blasted him with last week, Law was pretty sure that this was it.

And it also sounded like Sanji was only inserting himself into this situation because of what the other kids were accusing him, of. So his motives weren't pure. It frustrated him that he would even unload his problems onto this kid that had only caused him trouble in the very first place. Giving him ammunition to use later on.

He felt frustrated all over again, scowling down at his ash-stained slacks.

"Bad little boys get detention with Garp afterschool," Ace warned them, leaning against the fence with a knowing expression. Both of them jumped at the sound of his voice. "I can hear you both all the way over to my favorite napping spot."

" _God_ , get a life. Stop spying on everyone!" Sanji snapped at him, standing quickly. He kicked the fence near Ace's face and stomped off, Ace moving only to avoid impact but resettling moments later with a frown.

"Admittedly, I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds serious," he added to Law, who frowned at him, rising to his feet. "You okay, bro?"

"Fuck off," Law muttered, walking off in the other direction, Ace scowling.

That kid was pricklier than Crocodile on a good day, but Ace heard what he'd overheard. This was not a conversation between enemies, or threats of intimidation. This was a give and take exchange; so it was wrong for other kids to assume that Sanji was intimidating this kid into silence when it wasn't that case at all. With how much his brothers were trying to interfere, they were hard pressed into discouraging _something_. Was it an image thing? Or something else? Ace had an idea, but he didn't know why it mattered so much. These things were not unusual, nowadays.

He shrugged and headed back to the concession stand to finish napping.

: :

When Smoker called for him the next day, Law could feel himself shaking again. While he had a different mindset towards the visit, now, there was no escaping the nervousness he felt. He put his things away into his locker and slowly meandered towards the front office. He was in sight of it when he heard hurrying footsteps, and he looked to the left to see Sanji coming his way. He held something out to him, and Law took it after a few moments, seeing that it was a fresh pack of his brand of cigarettes. He was suspicious by the unexpected gift. This was how things started; he knew what he looked like – smelled like – this was how the grooming started. Unexpected gestures and false, kind words. _This stupid kid_ …

With an awkward expression, Sanji said low, "Look, I don't have anything to say that might be too helpful, but, and I don't know the whole story…at least give them a chance, okay? Hear them out. And you've got good instincts, so you'll know if something's wrong, don't _not_ listen to it, okay? But don't run, either. Get it over with. Uhm, other than that…good luck?"

Law didn't know what to say, but he looked at the pack of cigs, cellophane crinkling in hand. Sanji Vinsmoke giving him advice on how to deal with his estranged parents; this was a laugh and a half. But he pocketed the cigarettes anyway, and walked to the office without saying anything to him. Smoker was waiting, and he frowned grimly at the state of him.

"Want to take a few moments in the bathroom to freshen up?" he asked.

"No," Law said tightly, unable to look away from his shoes.

"It'll make things a little easier – "

"For _whom_?"

Smoker shrugged, opening the door for both of them, heading out into the bright sunlight. "Who were you talking to in the hall? You've make some friends, here?"

"Nobody."

"Oh, so ghosts gave you those cigarettes? Funny."

The closer they got to the building, Law's heart raced, beating hard against his ribcage. It felt like he couldn't breathe, but he didn't want Smoker noticing any of his agitation. He stared out the window, watching building pass by. His fists were clenched in his sweater pockets, and his knee jiggled fiercely. His mouth was so dry – tongue stuck against the back of his teeth again.

When they pulled up to the building, he wiped his palms onto his slacks. Smoker had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, window down, and he shot him a look.

"I was a track star in high school," he warned Law, who had to process that warning as a warning before he understood what he was saying. He rolled his eyes at the window. "Look, I know how you get. If you can't say a thing, or you feel overwhelmed, pat your leg two times. We'll leave immediately, no questions or excuses given. You get it?"

Law nodded vaguely, wondering what vehicle belonged to his parents in the public parking lot off the gated lot next door. He could feel himself growing angry – a hot ball of uncomfortable weight in his chest growing as a slow simmer, and rising as they started leaving the car. Smoker stopped him just inside the private hallway, using his ID to swipe the lock.

"Let's go change your shirt," he then advised, looking at the school's logo. "So they don't know what school you're attending. That'll give you some privacy."

The building smelled like bleach and disinfectant, but the offices were optimistic. Every main door was operable by key card or pinned code, and Law knew that the visitor's center was located on the other side of the building. Top forty hits were playing from an office nearby, and phones rang, answered by brisk voices. Smoker's office smelled like him; it was plain, with nothing but a calendar on the wall that had notes written carefully within each square, but upon closer inspection, it was only a reminder of all the lunch specials in the city. His desk was cluttered with papers, but he kept all his files locked properly in the filing cabinet nearby. A cactus grew from a booted pot, with a single blossom on top. He handed Law a faded grey shirt that was often given to kids that had come the building without anything, and Law changed into that quickly, smoothing it over himself with some self-consciousness.

"This is what we're going to go over," Smoker then said, gesturing at him to sit down. Jiggling his knee, Law sat uncomfortably, Smoker going over the topics, explaining how the system worked, explaining who would all be accompanying them. He explained what Law's parents had to do to get to him. He also gave Law some current information about them.

"Your father transferred out of surgery to pediatrics. Your mother switched to dentistry. They adopted a couple of animals; a dog and a cat. It's up to you to get their names. You're not allergic, are you?" Smoker didn't let him answer. "In his free time, your father likes HBO programming and tending to their yard. Your mother likes the cooking network, but still can't properly bake a cake to save her soul. They celebrated their wedding anniversary in Portland, recently."

Law didn't care about any of that. It sounded like Smoker was selling the next family that was to take him in; which was almost what it was. But they sounded like strangers to him; he couldn't remember any of their habits, or their quirks. Unexpectedly, at that moment, he thought of Sanji.

Smoker looked at him. "You nervous? You're not talking. You're usually chatting my goddamn ears off."

Law just stared at him for his sarcasm, lips set tight. Smoker sighed quietly. "Look, kid, what do you want out of this? Besides the obvious?"

That was a difficult question to answer; it all mattered on how the meeting went. He shrugged. Smoker watched him for a few moments, then gestured at him to get up. They went outside and had a smoke, and Law could feel Smoker watching him, reading him as best as he could. When it came time, Law's heart started to pound hard once more, and his fingers tightened into fists. He felt his nails digging into his palms – he'd forgotten to clip them. His tongue pressed up against the back of his teeth. Tashigi and Hina entered the office, Tashigi blathering on cheerily about the task while Hina smelled strongly of cigarettes and expensive perfume. They attempted to engage into conversation with him, but Law wasn't up to answering any of their questions.

They'd tried for years to get to the level Smoker had with him, but it wasn't their personalities that put him off; Law just found it difficult to talk to them. But once it was time, they made their way to the other end of the building, Smoker trailing along behind him, Tashigi leading the way, Hina off to the side. Law that their position made it difficult for him to run off, almost amusing him with the thought that they intended on stopping him if he tried to escape. Not that he could; every door was locked and accessed only with a keycard, with only the front lobby being that freely accessible.

His breath grew hot and heavy in his chest. Sweat built around uncomfortable areas. It was too much for him; when they paused outside the plain oak door with a narrow window, he just shut off. His jaw tightened in place, head lowered, and he found focus on his shoes much easier than looking where he was going. He turned away from the door, looking at Smoker, who watched him carefully.

"Just get it over with, _this one time_ ," Smoker said quietly. "Less then fifteen minutes. You can do this. It's no different than walking into a classroom. Once you get seated, it'll get easier, and it'll get over with. But remember our signal."

He then demonstrated it, because Law, for the life of him, couldn't remember that simple task. Once he saw it, he then swallowed tightly, nodding. He wanted to walk away so badly; but at the same time, he needed this. A 'closure or a new beginning' – he had nothing more to lose.

* * *

 **A/N: This was originally one chapter, but I cut it in half, so two updates in a single day!**

 **Naghi-Tan** : Don't worry - Sanji is a stubborn little shit. : )

 **Snowflake97** : Sanji is a challenge - not that he enjoys it, but this is how he lives life. Everything is a challenge to prove himself. He will definitely do what it takes to do so, even if it means putting himself into uncomfortable places!

 **Sarge1130** : He can be rather dramatic, but he's not going to hold back, now! Just as he expresses himself (shrilly, as he'd mentioned here), he doesn't think too much of holding back when he feels it needs to be said. Now, after reading your comment for this chapter, I can picture him in place of that blond woman looking over all those equations in that meme I always see floating around. XD Thank you for all your comments and time!


	16. Chapter 16

**16**

* * *

Tashigi opened the door at Smoker's prompting, and walked in, Hina right behind her. It took Law a few moments to gather the strength needed to follow – Smoker reached out and touched his arm to do so. Rooted in place, Law didn't move. But after a slow exhale, he did it, walking into the surprisingly open room that was decorated with houseplants, flowery printed curtains, tables that looked as if they were purchased from a furniture showroom. There were couches facing each other, comfortable chairs nearby, a coffee table with newspapers and current magazines with neutral topics.

His parents were sitting on a loveseat, and when he finally lifted his head to look at them, his mother was openly crying, tears rolling down her cheeks in fat blobs, and his father looked very close to doing the same. Both of them looked familiar and not at the same time; they were older, with visible greys, with visible wrinkles, and they looked the same as he did; as if they hadn't slept in weeks. They looked a lot thinner, harder; his mother had shorter hair, cut nearly bob length under her ears, which sparkled with small stones. His father had his combed to the side, and wore a stiff collared shirt with a simple tie, his mother in a dress and cardigan.

Hina passed tissue over, but Law could feel himself growing angry. How unfair of them to express these feelings; he could have used them years ago. But his mother had been indifferent, and his father had been angry, and _now_ they were expressing these crocodile tears? Was it just a show for the workers present, to show that they'd changed?

"Lorenzo, Lainey," Smoker said, Tashigi closing the door behind them. "Here's your son."

 _Don't say that_ , Law thought, and he thought he said it aloud, but his tongue refused to budge. He felt, with their parents changing expressions, that he had. But he watched his father's shaking hands come up to his face, rub ferociously while Lainey continued to cry silently. He already felt that he'd disappointed them, the way they kept looking at him, taking in every visible part of him with growing expressions of horror.

What did they expect? _What did they expect to find_ , after all of this time? His fists tightened. Their expressions said enough for him at that point.

"What is this?" his father asked stiffly, and his voice was exactly as Law remembered it. "This – he looks like he's not being taken care of! What sort of program is this?"

"Ah, well…it's understandable that you feel that way," Smoker said, nonplussed by Lorenzo's tone. "Trust me, we've had this argument plenty of times. Law is very stubborn, and he knows what he's going to do, with or without anyone's advice. Admittedly, this has been a problem – "

"The state funds this program to ensure that our children are placed in homes that take care of them! He does not look as if any care was taken to him in years!"

"And yet, he was placed in our care," Hina said smoothly, sitting down in a chair between Law's parents and Smoker, crossing her legs primly. Immense guilt caused Lorenzo to back off, hands moving back to his face, rubbing stiffly. "Admittedly, Law is one of our biggest problem children because he is also one of our most stubborn ones. He refuses to stay in homes that don't suit his needs, and he tends to make his own choices to determine what sort of home fits him. The current home he chose gives him what he needs. If he finds it fitting, then how are we to discourage him?"

"He's as tall as a tree, but more than likely, his danged metabolism is probably what keeps him stick thin. And, yes, despite the situation, children will be stressed about their living conditions no matter where," Tashigi said, pushing up her glasses. "So of course he looks the way he does! But that doesn't mean he isn't being cared for."

"We just want him permanently in a place where he will be satisfied," Smoker added. "That's the true goal, here."

"Our home is open!" Lainey managed to say, breathing deeply to do so. She wiped her eyes and nose. " _Our home is open_. Law…!"

Law did not feel any pull towards them; he still felt an intense stubbornness to keep his distance. He felt offence towards his appearance, but he knew it, he expected it, so he didn't feel any shock or shame in that. He did not feel the need to address them, or look at them any further. He could feel their eyes burning into him, could hear their upset breathing, but he was numb to all of that. All he knew was that their past wasn't going to go away that fast, that majestically. Just because they were slipping a few tears here and there meant nothing for him.

"Would you like to sit, Law?" Hina asked him, indicating the other couch.

He shook his head. If they were shocked at his appearance, then they'd certainly take notice of his stench. He was so hot and sweaty, crossing his arms self-consciously, knowing that Smoker was not getting this shirt back.

Lainey stood, Lorenzo reaching out to support her. It looked like he tried to stand with her, but his knees were shaking, so he took a heavy seat back. It was discomforting to note, for Law, that he shared so many of his father's characteristics. His thick dark hair, his build, his facial structure; but he had his mother's eyes. And Lamie would have looked like Lainey – if she had been allowed to live, she would have had the same auburn hair, the same bright gray eyes.

"Law…Water, please….give us a chance," Lainey asked, voice shaking. "Give us a _chance_ …! We know you've been through a lot, more than any child should, and we want you back! This should have never happened! None of it! Please let us fix this – it can be fixed!"

 _Like Lamie_? Law thought, glancing at her. it was on his tongue, ready to go, but his mouth just wouldn't work.

"You won't get much out of him," Smoker said, Tashigi clearing her throat noisily. "He's one of those very quiet kids. I almost had the thought of putting bells on his shoes just to know where he was at all times."

"Does he still…?" Lorenzo trailed off, then tried again, stumbling over Law's name, "Law…do you still…?"

"Yes, we're quite aware of it," Smoker said in response, Lainey grabbing more tissue to use as she sat down, reading Law's body language. But she struggled to compose herself, reaching out for Lorenzo's hand before quickly releasing it. "Unfortunately, due to school variances, he was unable to attend any type of speech therapy this year. Our funding doesn't allow us to find these resources for him. State, and all. There's only so much we can provide."

"I would pay, _everything_ , to help," Lorenzo said tightly, removing his glasses to wipe his eyes. "It's not too late to do that."

"These types of problems are only exacerbated by certain situations, and you certainly can't say that he hasn't tried to remedy this himself," Hina said. "Unfortunately, resources are limited. That's just how it is."

"We can arrange for private therapy sessions," Tashigi said, making notes. "But it would have to be funded entirely under your dime."

"I have it! I have everything necessary to do anything for…for my son. Law," Lorenzo said, looking at him desperately. "As your mother said…give us a chance to fix things. To mend this. I know it must be terribly difficult to even trust a word we've said, or even look us in the eye again, but…we want you back home. That's all we want. Everything from there will work out. We can do this. Let us take care of you."

'Don't give yourself up so easily,' Law heard Sanji say. They were good words of advice; anybody could put on a show.

Smoker looked at him. "Would you like to say anything?"

Law shook his head every so slightly.

"Let Hina go over a few things with you," Hina then said firmly. "For this unification plan to work, there is counseling that needs to be completed with both parties, evaluations to be done on his behalf plans made for possible permanent living situations. We are quite aware that you've been given a clearance by the judge presiding over his case, allowing him back to your home. But let us be realistic – he is near mature minor status, which doesn't require him to make any sort of contact with you. I believe that Smoker feels that once he reaches this status, we will then assist with his planned permanent living arrangements, and we cannot help you get into contact with him, any further. We will be performing weekly meetings, Law, in order to re-establish you with your parents. After that, it is up to you. Twenty minutes every week – we were lucky to even get that."

Forced weekly meetings with his parents until his birthday? Law felt pissed at this, looking at Smoker. Smoker shrugged in response. "Our job is to reunite families, fix them," he reminded him. "We have to put forth our best efforts to do so. This is part of it."

"I don't have time for this," Law told him low, almost in a whisper.

"It's on a weekend, so your duties will be covered appropriately."

"It's not fair to Rosinante – "

"He has a brother that can do whatever it is you do, better. This is for you, not them!"

" 'Duties'?" Lorenzo repeated, overhearing small parts of their argument. "What sort of duties?"

"In his spare time, Law takes care of a dementia patient. He's very fond of him, and he's very worried about their possible separation," Smoker said.

Lorenzo looked outraged, Lainey's eyes filling up once again. "How is that even allowable? Dementia patients require around the clock care, and if he's taking care of someone in that state, then it's no wonder - !"

"It's none of your goddamn business," Law snapped at him, silencing him.

" _Settle_ ," Smoker warned him. "He's thinking the same way I do about the situation."

"This home gives Law comfort in purpose," Tashigi said quickly. "Some teenagers have turned to negative things in order to cope with their living arrangements, but he chose to care for this particular person, and it's made him feel good about himself."

"Tashigi," Smoker said with a slight grimace.

"What part of this picture makes you people think that he 'feels good about himself'?" Lorenzo asked, standing up. He struggled to maintain the volume of his voice, Law looking right at him as those unwanted memories returned. "He's obviously not invested into care for himself! Who the hell is taking care of _him_ while he's taking care of a dementia patient?"

"Did I say the wrong thing?" Tashigi asked no one in particular, fretting as Lainey reached out and gripped Lorenzo's shirt, tugging on him to sit down, to lower his voice.

Smoker saw the two sharp pats, and exhaled heavily. "I'm afraid we're done, for today."

" _No_ \- !" Lainey exclaimed, rising to stand sharply. "No, not yet. _Not yet_ , we just started!"

"I'm sorry, but for our first meeting, that'll have to be it. We'll leave, first."

Lorenzo gripped his hair with frustration, sitting with a heavy motion back down onto the couch. Lainey looked at Law with such a broken expression that Tashigi teared up instantly. Hina's lips shifted to the side of her mouth as she observed them.

" _Law_!"

Law found it difficult to look in his mother's direction, but he did it, somehow. She lowered her hand, as if she'd been reaching out to stop him from leaving. Clutching the tissue in her hands, lowering it to her side, she then said, "Please come back. _Please_ come back to the next meeting. We'll be waiting for you. Your father and I - there's so much we can give you, so much that we can provide, if you'd just let us! Please… _please_ …we don't want to lose you, again…"

"Ah, didn't you have something you wanted to give him?" Hina asked, rising from her chair.

Lorenzo jolted, then jerked to the side of the couch, pulling out a plain bag. Hina took it, crossing the space necessary to give it to Law. Law wasn't sure if he wanted to take it, unable to look inside to see what it was. Smoker took it for him.

"It was yours," Lorenzo said quietly. "We…when we moved, we…found it underneath your desk."

Law thought about the loss of his childhood home. For some reason, he'd always thought it would be there. But he figured the memories of Lamie were too painful to endure, and moving sounded reasonable. Smoker opened the door and let Law out first, coming out behind him. He shut the door, looking into the bag before giving it to Law.

Law looked at the bag. He wasn't ready to accept anything from his parents. Smoker understood.

"Good job, kiddo," he said, moving down the hall at a brisk pace. "You did it. First meeting down."

 _I don't want to do this again_ , Law thought angrily, following after him. His fists clenched once more, arms finally lowering to his sides. Everything felt so stiff and sore from holding the position for so long, that when he finally made an abrupt movement, it hurt.

"It went well. They're ready to take you back home. They'd do it today, if we were able to do so," Smoker continued, stopping at his office to drop off the bag, finding his cigarettes and leading the way outside. Once there, just within the parking lot, they each sucked down much needed nicotine. Law glared at the asphalt, running the entire scene though his mind. Now that he was away from the danger zone, he could think more clearly.

He still felt a great deal of mistrust in his parents' emotions, and he didn't feel he could trust himself to make a good decision based off today's face-to-face sit down. Sure, they could sit there and cry tears looking into his face, but afterward, as they walked to their car, did they wear the same face?

His question was answered when he became aware of moving noise off to his right. There, in plain view, he watched as Lorenzo led Lainy to a maroon Sedan parked on the street, Lainy nearly inconsolable. Lorenzo looked in a similar state, but was handling himself as he needed to, fumbling with the keypad to the car. Once inside, Lainy continued to sob while Lorenzo gripped the steering wheel and heaved his own grief. Seeing them like that made Law feel something deep inside of him. He remembered seeing them in that state long ago, when Lamie had finally given in. It was a painful memory.

Smoker saw that Law had noticed them, plucking out another cigarette. They'd be standing here for awhile, much like those two in the parking lot. He couldn't read Law's expression, wishing he could somehow hear his thoughts, but he'd timed the moment perfectly.

: :

The next morning happened without fanfare. Law's expression wasn't any different from yesterday. He still looked long gone in some fantasy world, undeterred by the current class plans. Sanji wondered the outcome, nervously chewing on his nails as he watched the back of Law's head. He couldn't risk passing notes in this class, so he told himself to wait it out until lunch. There was a movie playing, some documentary about the current state of law enforcement, so everyone was focused forward. Niji was napping soundly, snoring obnoxiously loud while Yonji watched with interest, occasionally beating on the kid next to him with enthusiasm.

When Law slouched in his chair, tucking his hands underneath his armpits – it was so cold in the classroom that everyone was hunkered within their sweaters or had their arms wrapped around themselves - Sanji caught sight of his nails. He frowned heavily, rummaging through his bag until he found what was looking for. He managed to clip the longer middle fingernail, but the sound was so obnoxiously loud and Law reacted with such a start that everyone looked over at him suspiciously. Sanji put the nail clippers in his sweater pocket and frowned ahead of him. When they all resettled, Law flipped him off after examining his nail.

Sanji wrote on a small slip of notebook paper, and pushed it into his armpit. Law scowled back at him, brushing it away and resettling in his seat. With a huff, Sanji retrieved the paper and tossed it at him upon straightening, but Law made no move to look at it. So it gave Sanji some time to think about what he was doing. Maybe it wasn't his place to ask about these types of things, but he was so fucking curious that he couldn't drop it.

Niji snorted himself awake and sat up with a frown, yawning noisily when he saw that the movie was still playing. "Hey, Mr Hansen, have you ever seen the movie, 'Bad Teacher'?"

"Shut up, Niji!" Yonji hissed at him.

"Yonji's going to Bad Cop your ass," Sanji told Niji, snickering as he leaned over his desk.

Niji scowled heavily at him, and resettled in his seat. He did look a little nervous, considering how fascinated Yonji was with the documentary. Sanji had to laugh at this, causing Niji to throw his pencil at him.

After class, Sanji snatched his things and raced out of the classroom, Niji shouting after him. But all Sanji did was hide in the next hallway, chewing on his fingernails again as he waited for Law to pass by. Once he did, Sanji hastily pulled out his notebook to look it over while he also waited for those two dorks that followed after Law from a distance to pass by. Then he ventured in that direction. When Law exchanged his textbooks for next class, and those two hit the restroom nearby, looking over a Nintendo Switch, Sanji hurried after Law.

"Well, how'd it go?" he asked, slapping his bag atop a desk while Law took his seat with a scowl.

"Leave me alone," he muttered, examining his clipped nail.

With irritation, Sanji stared down at him, looking for a hint of yesterday to show on Law's face. He pulled out his nail clippers again, and Law retracted his hand underneath the desk.

"I did something nice for you," Sanji said low. "The least you could do is repay a favor."

Law rolled his eyes, slouching his shoulders while he folded his hands underneath the desktop. "You threatened me until you got your way. Again."

Sanji showed him the notebook, including the pages of their 'conversation'. Law stared up at him venomously. "Would be a shame if Smoker got ahold of this."

"Jesus fucking Christ."

Putting the notebook aside, Sanji weighed his options. Finally, he held his hand out, indicating that Law do the same. Law just glared at his hand, then at him.

"What."

"Give it to me."

"Give _what_ to you?"

"Your hand."

"Why? _No_."

"Oh, so you want Smoker to know the real story behind your goddamn nose?"

It was just a month. _Just a month_. Recalling the concern his father had expressed over his care, Smoker could speed up the process, cutting his time with Rosinante short.

With a heavy exhale, Law drew up his hand. Then propped up his face with his other hand as Sanji took the other one, and began clipping with a creepily happy face. The silence in the classroom was immense to allow the noise of the clipper in action, and Law found himself flushing with embarrassment as he watched the doors, ready to draw his hand back if anyone came by.

When Sanji released that hand, Law looked at his nails to judge the work, then sat up with a start, looking at his nails with a disgusted expression. Instead of clipping them straight across, Sanji had created sharp v's in the length, so they resembled shark teeth. Sanji released a snicker, proud of his work.

"I used to clip my thumbnail like that, so I could scratch the shit out of my brothers!" Sanji explained, putting the nail clippers away. "But then one day, all of them pinned me down so Ichiji could clip them down to the pink. Fuck, that hurt. That's why I always keep them short."

"For fuck's sake, give me those! This looks stupid!"

"Having girly nails looks stupider! These look bad-ass."

Law ended up chewing them, spitting the remnants out at him in effect. Sanji had to move to avoid being spit on, but he resettled in a desk catty corner to him. "So…? Are you going back to them?"

"It's none of your business."

"I am the only friend you have here. So you might as well as spill."

"You're not my 'friend'."

"It must've went well, because you're not carrying yourself with attitude," Sanji decided, glancing at the doorway when he heard passing voices. He looked back at Law with a frown, then passed the nail clippers over when Law started chewing on the other set. Taking the clippers, Law tended to those with a stubborn frown. Seeing that he wasn't going to talk about it frustrated Sanji, because he was waiting all day and night to hear the results, replaying everything back in his thoughts until he had every detail down.

Then he had to remind himself that Law wasn't him – and of course it made sense that Law wouldn't say anything to him. He didn't have to.

They weren't 'friends'.

After he was done clipping his nails, Law slid the clippers across the desk in his direction, so Sanji caught them, putting them away. After a few moments, Law said uncomfortably, "Hey."

Perking up, anticipating a 'thanks' of some kind, Sanji waited, trying to hide his eager expression.

"I know what you're doing, and you need to stop," Law muttered, looking off in another direction.

"What am I doing?" Sanji asked, furrowing his brow.

"Giving me all _this_ and…expecting…something back."

"What, I'm not being a prick or anything, I'm just trying to – "

"I'm not like you."

Sanji heard the meaning behind that clearly, and he understood it. He frowned uncomfortably, feeling his cheeks redden. "Of course not. Never said that you were," he mumbled.

"You're not getting anything from me."

"Pulling words from you is like pulling teeth, I get that. I just – "

"I'm not a fucking faggot. All right? I'm not going to suck your dick just because you're being fucking nice to me."

Shocked, Sanji just looked at him. He wasn't expecting that, nor was he doing anything for that as an award. He stood up from the desk with a startled air, unexpectedly confused, hurt and angry.

"I was never aiming for that," he stuttered. " _Jesus_. Why would you even think - ?"

"Because that's what all you assholes want. You're not just 'nice' for no fucking reason," Law repeated firmly, finally looking at him.

Red-faced, Sanji clutched his bag strap. He couldn't even think of the words needed to deny, explain or even get angry to curse at him. He couldn't even fathom the sort of things Law was telling him, but he did have the vague thought that this must happen a lot. Law was asserting himself very firmly, and Sanji, who didn't even understand that method in the first place, was stuck in a reel backwards, unsure of how to catch himself.

"Thought I was just being a… _friend_ ," he said shakily, stumbling over the word.

"You're not my 'friend'. We're not 'friends'. You attached yourself to me like a fucking weirdo and won't get the fucking hint."

Which was, to be honest, a little true. Stubbornly, Sanji said, "God, are you that damaged, you just automatically think the worst of things, first?"

"Like you weren't. You threw a trashcan at me the second week I was here! Now, suddenly, you're nice to me? Fuck you."

"I told you _why_ \- !"

"Real fucking suspicious. I know what I look like, _smell_ like, and you're being 'nice' to me out of the kindness of your heart? Fuck you."

"Because I want your opinion, and I want to hear your thoughts! I – I admire you! You're smart and stupid at the same time!"

"Bullshit. No one has ever been 'nice' to me _just because_. Fuck off, Sanji."

Sanji reddened, growing more and more upset being called out in this fashion. While definitely embarrassing that he was placed in this situation, his feelings disregarded, he'd had years of fighting with his brothers to prove himself. A shove wasn't going to intimidate him, or force him away, and this is what it was. A shove. Because while he wasn't sure where he was going with this, that suggestion hadn't been his goal at all. All he wanted was Law's fucking attention, and he did what he could to get it, through methods that he knew worked.

Stubbornly, he hiked his bag around him. The bell rang at that moment, and he turned to walk away. But he paused in the front of the class, and said with warning, "This is only going to make me try harder, you know. I hate having to prove myself all the fucking time, but if I have to do it like this, then so be it. I'll make your life more fucking miserable with my affection."

Law just gave him an exasperated look, sweeping his fingernails to the floor. "I'm not worth that heart attack."

"Obviously, I think you are, you shitty stain!"

Sanji left the classroom in a huff, and Law stared out the window. As kids filed in, the teacher popping in moments later with a coffee cup, he had to snort. Did that kid just _threaten_ him with affection?


	17. Chapter 17

**17**

* * *

That weekend, Sanji slammed his father's study door shut and locked it after Ichiji had finished talking to their mother. He then hurried over to the computer, where his mother was Face Timing them all in turn.

"Hi, honey!" she said cheerily, perking up in her chair. Her bright smile and happy expression was appreciated, but Sanji still felt a little bitter about it, because he wished to see that every day. Why she wouldn't fight harder to be close to them was something he couldn't fathom. So that brief moment of appreciation was gone. "How's my little duckling?"

"Mom, can I talk to Reiju?" Sanji asked hastily. "I'm sorry, it's a really personal question. It'll take three minutes."

Surprised, Sola tucked hair behind her ear, but nodded. "Sure, okay! She's right here."

Once his older sister appeared in view as they switched chairs, Sanji then added loudly, " _Alone_! Make mom step outside."

Reiju looked at Sola as she moved out of sight. Then she looked back at the screen, her light pink hair braided in small pigtails below her ears, her eyebrows lifted high. A college student, she still retained a slight child-like expression to her that remained open and receptive to Sanji.

"Show me that she's gone," Sanji demanded, not taking the chair behind him just yet. Reiju flipped the laptop around, showing him the rest of Sola's bedroom, and a door that was swinging closed.

"What's this?" she asked curiously once she straightened the device, straightening her tube top.

"Quick question: how do you make someone like you?"

Reiju didn't bat an eye. "You can't _make_ someone like you. It just happens naturally."

"No, see, here's the situation: I've come to the realization that I like someone, but I've no idea how to show it appropriately!"

"Well, um…what is this person like?"

"Stubborn. Smart. Caring. Um, very quiet, in need of direction because there's a lack of motivation, but that part doesn't matter to me, because I know I can show them a good path to successful living that includes me in it!"

Reiju wasn't sure of what sort of face to make, so she chose a neutral one. "That's…very descriptive…"

"Enough of that. How do I do this?"

"Well, are they aware of you?"

"Duh! There's no one in the school that doesn't know who I am!"

"When you mentioned 'appropriately', what do you mean? You're not being a nasty kid and sending inappropriate messages and pictures?"

" _Of course not_!"

"Did you confess?"

"I did that already, but they think I'm full of shit and only doing it for one thing. It had never occurred to me, _that_ aspect, but it was pointed out to me, and it isn't even like that! We share similar ideas and thoughts and I'm just – _borderline obsessed_ and fascinated and I want to know _everything_ about them, and yet I'm called 'snoopy' and 'creepy', and 'weird', and I'm just frustrated because I _have_ to do this, because if I don't, I don't learn anything at all, and I will _lose_ them!"

Reiju just stared at him, then cleared her throat noisily. While used to her little brother's often overwhelming rush of words, the content of it alarmed her. The years they'd spent apart didn't allow them to be as close as they used to be, so the more she spoke to her brothers over court-mandated calls, the more saddened she was with the feel of disconnect with them. Plus, it bothered her that they were so… _extra_. All of them. It was as if living in a house full of testosterone created masculinity monsters that weren't interested in treating her and their mother with any sort of respect. They blasted and bragged their way through each chat, not returning questions, more interested in talking about themselves than anything. Their shallowness made her feel ill.

Hearing this from Sanji brought alarm forth to her, because she was aware of his dedication to _knowing_ things. He would go overboard with the subject until _he_ was satisfied, and this was the Vinsmoke male's general attitude towards life. So she felt dismay for the unfortunate girl that caught her little brother's attention.

"Well…being pushy isn't the right way to do it – "

"I can't help but be pushy, because if I'm not, then absolutely nothing will happen!" Sanji stressed to her.

"It sounds like they are unwilling to share your affections –"

"I _know_ , so how do I _make_ them accept it?"

"You can't _make_ someone accept your feelings," she repeated herself gently.

"You don't understand because I don't have all the time to explain it, I only have three minutes, two, _two and half_ , but I need to do this! I need to do this, because I have a time limit, and my way obviously isn't working, and this is all I fucking think about, and this person is important to me, so it just needs to happen!" Sanji snapped at her. "So give me good advice!"

"Being demanding and pushy isn't the right way to do it. You can't just treat her like she's one of your brothers," she said pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest. "First off, I bet you're just unloading yourself onto her like she's an object that doesn't require proper courting – "

"Then how do I 'court'? Without being obvious?"

"Why wouldn't you want to be obvious? You like her, so I'd think you'd want the world to know."

"Those around me don't like the same things I like, and therefore, aren't very interested in listening to what I have to say about it," Sanji stressed, looking at his watch again. "Minute and a half, and you've given me nothing."

"I don't want to encourage something that doesn't sound very positive. You can't be pushy with someone that doesn't want your affections," Reiju said slowly. "You'll come off as disliked."

"I'm already disliked by 100 percent of the population, Reiju, I don't have a choice. _Advice_ , please."

"Speaking as a woman and for other women, it is of grave importance for me to stress that if they are not already receptive to your advances, they do not want your advances, and any sort of encouragement that I can give you at this point might be useless. You'd only continue coming off as 'disliked'," she said slowly.

Sanji heaved an impatient sigh. "Whatever. I'll handle those details later. I've already decided that I like this person, and since I can't talk myself out of it, my mind will not be changed. I've already invested time and effort to be noticed, and now it's about getting their approval and attention. I'm noticed, but not positively, so how can I change this negativity to something for my favor?"

Reiju sighed.

"Okay, time's up. I thought you'd have useful advice, but you don't, so, later."

She frowned at him, but stood up, leaving the screen's sight. Moments later, Sola sat back down with a cheerful expression. "How have you been, baby?"

"Mom, I'm still retaining a 3.9 gradepoint average, and it's bullshit because I work my ass off to get good grades, but sometimes I get pissed because I can't seem to break a clean 100," Sanji huffed with frustration, finally sitting down and jiggling both knees. "There's a curve, and it's all Ichiji's fault! Make him stop!"

Sola looked troubled, fiddling with her hair for a few moments before saying, "If you're doing your best, then perhaps that's all you can do, for now. I think it's important to live your life and enjoy the smaller things than worry excessively about these things. I don't like that you try so hard to overachieve these things – you're headed for a mental breakdown, honey. It's important that you take care of yourself - "

" _Argh_ , that's what the counselor said, but I think she just feeds me shit just to shut me up! I'm working hard to ensure a good path to the school dad wants me to go to, and – "

"What about the college _you_ want to go to? What do they require?"

"Mom, either he pays for the school he wants for me, or I get all these scholarships for another one, and I feel that I won't have the support I need to go to one of my choice, because – "

" _I_ will support you!"

"Mom, you're on a fixed income! No way!"

"Sanji, I swear, these things are things you don't need to worry about," Sola said with exasperation. "Your future is set! Whatever choice you want to make, it doesn't have to be your father's choice! I will support you with whatever decision you make regarding your future."

"Mom, I'm not putting you in that position. Anyway, just listen to me -"

" _No_ ," she said firmly, sitting up in her chair, crossing her arms. "I don't want to hear about those topics, or anything regarding school unless it's a social matter. I know you're doing fine. You are excelling without trying, and I'm confident in your efforts. I want to know what other things you've been doing. Other than your grades, what else is happening?"

"Nothing," Sanji muttered bitterly. That was all he had to talk about, really, was school. It was a safe topic, and it was all he had, other than the growing situation with Law.

"Have you tried any new recipes lately?"

"Dad doesn't want me doing that, anymore."

Sola gave an upset frown. "Have you made any friends?"

"No, everyone hates me."

"I'm sure they don't hate you, you just don't give them time to get to know you."

"Mom, I know for a fact everyone hates me, just like they hate the rest of us!"

Trying not to look disappointed, but failing, Sola then suggested, "Yonji was talking about a dance coming up, have you thought of asking any girls out? Perhaps you can bring one from another school?"

Sanji rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to a stupid dance. And if I have to ask someone from a different school to do so, that's going to require me actually going out and meeting people from a different school, and I can't even leave the house, anymore, because dad grounded me."

" _Why_?" Sola asked, shocked.

Sanji realized he'd spoken of the thing he wasn't supposed to, and tightened his lips. He thought quickly before saying, "Er, just…being annoying. Starting fights with the others. I totally deserved it, I guess I was just acting out because, _mom_ , like, I can't have any privacy! I'm trying to do my homework, and those guys just interrupt me and tell on me, and so when I cause trouble, _I_ get the blame for it. It's so unfair."

"Try ignoring them."

Sanji gave her a pointed look, crossing his arms, then uncrossing them, fidgeting in his chair. Sola just continued to look at him with worry until she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I have a confession to make. I didn't leave the room, so I overheard your conversation with your sister."

"MOOO- _ooom_!"

"Tell me more about this person," she said excitedly, lighting up. "Stubborn in what way? Caring? Smart? What classes do you have with her?"

"Just one."

"That's unfortunate…not much opportunity to interact, is there? What makes her so special to you?"

Sanji shrugged, picking at his Hawaiian print shirt. It was so bright and vivid, a welcome change from his school uniform, and he liked how cheery the colors looked on him. Of course, his brothers gave him shit for it, but he didn't care. It was one of his favorites, and he wore it with cargo shorts and Converses.

"Everything," he then muttered in response. "I didn't know until the last minute that I did, and it makes sense, but they don't like me back."

"More than likely, you aren't showing her enough of yourself," Sola decided, still happy about the subject. "If she could just see what sort of a person you truly are – "

"Mom, it's a guy."

"… _Oh_." Sola looked startled, then horrified. Reiju suddenly appeared on screen from the side, sharing that expression.

"Are you _insane_? In _that_ house?" Reiju hissed at him. "What is _wrong_ with you? Or are you just confused? From what it sounds like, he's probably not even gay, that's why he's not returning your feelings!"

Sanji paused. It dawned on him that he hadn't even considered that factor. It should have been an obvious one. He turned bright red.

" _Reiju_ …!" Sola pushed her to the side, then resumed looking at Sanji. She looked very upset, having a hard time absorbing this. "Are…are you sure?"

Studying these reactions, Sanji interpreted them as they were given. Of course his mother and sister would be disappointed and shocked. It would be weirder if they were accepting.

"Yeah..." he answered slowly, still upset over his sudden realization. He wanted to hit himself for it. That should have been obvious right from the start, that Law wasn't "like him", but he was so fucking stubborn on proving himself to Law that Sanji didn't even think about that aspect. _God_ , it was so obvious. Like forgetting to fill in a test question he'd meant to come back to. He cleared his throat. Oh well, too late to go back on his confession, now. "Dad's doing his best to discourage it, but it's something I can't change. It's not a big fucking deal, but…it's a hassle if I keep having to defend myself, and I really can't be having that trouble, not with my grades, and no one cares if there's fags in the school anyway - !"

Reiju gasped, and Sola continued to look horrified.

"Do your brothers know of this?" Reiju asked.

"It's not like I came right out to say it, but it was exposed, and so they know anyway, but I'm not going around blasting it. I don't care," Sanji mumbled. "I don't really care, it's not a big deal! But don't say anything to dad, because he'll just get even madder! I mean it, mom! Reiju! Or I'll never say anything to you two, again."

Both of them looked at a loss for words, and, frustrated that it came out the way it did, wishing he'd thought about them before unleashing his words, Sanji swiped at his hair. "Never mind I said it! Forget it! I'm done, don't repeat that stuff to anyone!"

"Wait, wait, _wait_ , Sanji! _Wait_!" Sola called after him, but he was already out of the chair and jerking the door open, hollering at Niji to take his turn. Then he left the study and headed to his room, where he jumped onto his bed and wrapped the duvet around himself. He let loose a frustrated curse, red-faced.

He laid there for some time, thinking about his situation. After what Law had told him on Friday, he was still stunned that he would be accused of this. Quite honestly, it had never occurred to him that his actions could be interpreted as such. That wasn't even a goal – all he wanted was Law's attention. _That's all_. To continue to have conversations that weren't about his brothers, that weren't about school, that wasn't about his brothers' accomplishments, about grades, about things that weren't associated with his family. He wanted to know everything about Law; he wanted to know about his parents, about his home life, his thoughts and fears, what made him happy. Sanji wanted to know where he came from, where he was going, what happened when October came around. Sanji wanted to know how life was at West Blue, he wanted to know what Law's favorite foods were – no where in any point of this did Sanji ever think about _that_.

But it had occurred to him that this must happen a lot for Law to react that way. Constantly suspicious of good gestures, of friendliness, of being led into something…ominous. Sanji just couldn't imagine what sort of life that was, so it made sense that Law was so closed up. Many things must have happened to him to be this way, so Sanji allowed him that. But it only strengthened his resolve to prove himself; he wasn't like _that_. He didn't have 'ill-intentions'; he just had to show Law that he was real. Even if he had to force his way over that highly constructed, barbed wire fence Law had around him.

Well, now, to acknowledge the fact that Law wasn't gay "like him", which made things more frustrating because Sanji's mind was set. Maybe he just had to convince Law that he was, and was just in denial of himself. That sounded reasonable to Sanji.

But what happened after that? Sanji wasn't sure how relationships worked – maybe that wasn't what he was looking for. Maybe he was just looking for a friend. Maybe he _was_ confusing all his feelings for this person as a want for closeness in someone else. How embarrassing if that was the case.

He flailed his way out of his blankets and headed out to the back porch to smoke, thinking about his plans for next week. Law already knew that Sanji liked him; time to prove it.

: :

Monday morning, he walked into the class with determination. Law avoided looking at him, looking wholly irritated with just Sanji's appearance. As Sanji did not want his brothers snitching on him for continuing this situation with Law, he remained indifferent to the kid while carrying on as he usually did; making snide comments of his brothers, arguing with Mr Hansen about recent homework, joining in whenever Yonji or Niji latched onto an unfortunate victim that decided to speak up. But after class, Sanji hurried straight towards Law's locker, and hesitated as he clutched a folded note in both hands. For a few moments, his resolve wavered. He understood that Law 'wasn't like him', but Sanji had reasoned that he didn't make himself clear enough. If Sanji could prove what sort of a person he could be, he was sure Law would change his mind.

With a deep breath, he slipped in the note he'd made the night before, and hurried off. When Law found it, he automatically crumbled the folded paper in one hand, and threw it back into his locker without reading it.

Throughout the day, Sanji watched him, waiting to see if he'd read it, but Law was avoiding him. He anticipated that he would – considering his predictability – and before last class of the day, slipped in note number two.

After school, Law found it and crumbled it, tossing it back into his locker and walking off without any more thoughts to Sanji's efforts.

"Fight?" Ace asked Sabo.

"Yes," Sabo reluctantly agreed, making a sour face because he _knew_ those things.

The next day, Sanji slipped in three more notes, and Law repeated the gestures from yesterday. He made a mental note to remind himself to take them home later on so he could destroy them. Not to save Sanji in any way, but because they were nobody's business, and yet everyone seemed to be involved with their actions. He did not trust Ichiji after what had happened to his uniform.

Tuesday evening, when Law made it home and had some time to himself, he remembered the notes he'd stuffed into his sweater. It took him some minutes to make the decision to open them. They were all numbered, which made him think that there was no ending to this. One note, labeled #1, read, 'What are your thoughts on our current infrastructure? I think it's overwhelming and impossible to acquire more water rights in order to continue building outrageously large communities with more golf courses in them. Do you like water?'

The third one read, 'Your nails look nice, today.'

The fourth, 'We should go shopping. I have a lot of allowance saved, so I can buy you new shoes. You need to let me do this, I'm not using this money for anything.'

The fifth, 'No one knows I'm doing this. Quit being shy. WRITE BACK.'

The second, 'Your handwriting tells me you're stressed, insecure and the sloppiness suggests you think faster than you can write. So you're very intelligent, and that's definitely something I admire.'

Law tore these notes to shreds, red-faced. _What an idiot_ , he thought bitterly.

The next day, Sanji slipped more notes into his locker, and when Law retrieved them, he had the idea that they were of the same content as the last, so he didn't bother opening them. But he didn't crumble them. Instead, he stuffed them into his notebook and opened them at home, feeling irritated with himself as he read them. He couldn't stop himself from doing so. He could hear Sanji's voice in his head as he read them, which made the situation even worse.

Number six said, 'We ate at this taco place last night, and it was much too greasy. But the hot sauce was amazing! I wanted to recreate it. Do you like hot stuff? Maybe I can make you lunch!'

Number seven, 'I told my mom about you.'

Number eight, 'Did you at least eat what I tried to make the day you broke your nose? Was it any good? Write me back.'

Number nine, 'I think about your meeting w/ your parents a lot. It must have gone well because you don't look so stressed, anymore. I'm glad you gave them a chance. Maybe they'll keep you here at this school?'

Number ten read, 'You have nice eyes. Cut your hair so I can see them better.'

Law tore these notes to shreds, feeling his ears burn. Even if he could, he didn't know how to respond to these things. It felt like harassment, pressure, and yet… _yet_ there was a small inkling in him that didn't feel too threatened. Maybe it was because he could hear Sanji saying these things to him that didn't make him feel susceptible to what he expected from him; and that was dangerous in its own, because he didn't want to let his guard down.

He didn't want to be disappointed to learn that he'd been right, and that feeling didn't settle very well with him. _Damn_ it, he didn't know what he was doing.

During their shared class the next morning, when everyone was occupied with an intense debate topic regarding the current presidential administration, Law turned in his chair. "Stop it."

"Are you miserable yet, shit head?" Sanji asked in return, not looking at him as he continued to fill out his Trig packet.

"I told you to stop, so _stop_."

"What did you think about number one? It's not a current homework topic, I was just thinking about it because we had to go golfing with dad the other day, and I thought it was disgusting that we're going through a drought, and yet these places are taking up all the water that we could be using to -"

"I don't care about that!"

"You should! This is the city we live in, and if we plan on living forever - !"

"I don't plan on being here that long!"

Sanji looked at him sharply. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "Are you talking about suicide?"

" _NO_!"

At Law's outraged voice, kids looked over with alarm, and both of them resettled in their seats, looking embarrassed at the attention. Sanji huffed loudly. "Fine, don't let me look at your notes, mine are better than yours, anyway!"

Niji tilted his head in his direction. "What are you doing, Sanji?"

"Looking for notes from last class."

"I have them." Niji then pointed at his forehead. "Up here. Ask big brother _nicely_."

"No, fuck you, I don't trust your information."

Now that Niji was aware of the interaction, Sanji didn't say anything else. Law just sat there with a scowl, jiggling his knee anxiously, quite aware of the attention now directed their way, and it frustrated him that Sanji just would not get the obvious. But at the end of the day, he collected the notes stuffed into his locker and took them home.

Note number eleven read, 'You may not think it, but you are important.'

'There is so much more to this provincial life!' Number twelve was accompanied with a bad Belle drawing that _almost_ made Law's mouth twitch.

'You look better rested. I'm not complimenting your looks, don't freak out, I'm just saying, as a general statement, it looks as if you've gotten some sleep.'

With a heavy feeling of reluctance, Law kept notes eleven and twelve. He crumbled up thirteen and stuffed it deep into the trashcan. He refolded the others and put them underneath his sleeping bag, feeling light headed as he did so. He didn't know why he didn't have the heart and mind to throw them away, but he did find himself rereading them after resettling Rosinante back into bed in the middle of the night.

Friday, Sanji delivered three more notes, and was sitting in his last class with a few minutes remaining, writing out his last one. He wasn't sure if Law was even reading these notes – he _must_ be, after that brief confrontation in first period – so he wasn't sure of the other boy's response.

This current note was a compliment – he had to word it in a way that didn't let Law think negatively of his intentions, not make it 'too gay', but to get his point across. He'd just started writing the length of it when it was snatched out of his grasp, causing him to look up with a start. Ichiji glared at him after glancing at the content, and Sanji jumped out of his chair to grab at it in a panic, his older brother twisting away to take the few steps necessary out of the door. Those sitting nearby looked after them with bewilderment, unsure of what was happening.

Sanji jumped on him once out in the hall, but all Ichiji did was brace himself to hold his younger brother's weight on his back. He then grabbed Sanji by the arms curled around his neck, twisted off his own feet, and landed with both of them on the floor. He was on top, so he twisted quickly in Sanji's grasp and used an elbow to push hard on his ribs to pull away, Sanji laying there, slightly winded by the slam. Ichiji walked away with the note in hand, and Sanji pushed himself to his feet, watching his older brother do so. His ribs ached where Ichiji's elbow had connected, so he winced, rubbing slightly with one hand in an attempt to push the pain away.

Red faced, Sanji returned to the class just as the bell rang, and he gathered his stuff, fairly upset by what just happened. Once he made sure he had everything, he then ran to the parking lot to go find Ichiji. He wasn't out at the table he usually waited, and so Sanji pulled out his cigarettes. Nauseated by the possibilities, he sat at the table with a guilty expression, nervously jiggling his leg. Minutes later, Ichiji showed up with their brothers, and Sanji put out his cigarette, shaking hands pushed into his pockets before he could face them with a glare.

"Sneaky, sneaky!" Niji chided him, wearing a wide grin.

"Bro, this is gross," Yonji said angrily. He was in possession of the note, and he crumbled it in his hand. "This is _seriously_ gross. Like, I thought it was a joke all this time, but I didn't know you were doing things like _this_."

"Father said we should talk this over with you, first," Ichiji said irritably, as the three of them faced off with Sanji. "I thought it was made implicitly clear that this was forbidden. You weren't supposed to be talking to that kid after all that mess from Cracker Barrel. It makes the rest of us look fairly stupid."

"It's none of your damn business who I talk to!" Sanji protested. "So _what_ if I was still talking to him? It's not like he talks back! He keeps ignoring me!"

"Still, it was made pretty clear that you intend on continuing this disgusting act of indecency, and I'm fucking embarrassed that you're only doing this to make us look bad!" Ichiji snapped back, reddening. "Sneaking around about it in front of the entire school!"

Yonji looked concerned at his usage of words, soundlessly repeating them.

"Is this a _gay_ form of sexual harassment?" Niji asked with mock alarm. "Are we actually saving this kid's life from a potential rapist?"

"Oh, I almost threw up," Yonji complained, having to cough afterward as he hit his own chest.

"This isn't about you! None of it ever is! God, just leave me alone!"

"Both of you, stop talking like that. You know dad hates that sort of thing. Let's go," Ichiji muttered, turning to the car nearby. "We'll continue this at home."

"I'll just walk home."

"No, we need to talk about this. It concerns us as a whole, so we're allowed to have our say without him present. He trusts my judgment."

" _Unfair_ ," Niji mumbled.

"Just because he's five minutes older than me," Yonji muttered.

"This has nothing to do with the family! And, no, I'm not going home with you guys, right now. There's nothing that needs to be said. Make fun of me all you want, but I don't regret what I did," Sanji snapped, glaring at Ichiji defiantly.

Niji made a low whistle, Yonji's face tightening before Ichiji turned back to look at him.

"Get him!" Niji whispered loudly, using a foot to push Ichiji in that direction.

Ichiji noticed that a bunch of kids were looking their way, noting their confrontational stances against each other. "No. We make a show in front of the whole school, they'll feel sorry for the little runt. We don't need to explain ourselves to them. Yonji."

"Jesus Christ, I'll do it myself!" Sanji snapped bitterly, snatching up his bag and walking over to the car. He climbed in while his brothers followed suit, Yonji tossing the paper on the grass with a scowl.

Not even moments after the car pulled out from the parking lot, Law came up to the grassy area. After a brief confrontation with Ichiji at his locker, Ichiji telling him to 'stop encouraging him', Law had a bad feeling about where this was going. Whatever that paper had written on it, it must've been alarming for him to react so strongly.

He turned to take the long route back home when he noticed the crumbled paper on the grass. After some hesitation, he reached for it, recognizing Sanji's handwriting immediately.

Unfolding it, he read, 'you make me feel happy – '; the sharp line of a pen mark scratched across the page told Law that this statement had been forced to remain unfinished. But even then, those five words filled him with an unexpectedly warm wave of emotions; confusion, anger, disbelief, embarrassment, and others he couldn't identify. This stupid, weirdly obsessed kid could say things like that without reserve and get himself into trouble because of it. Didn't he know something like this was going to happen?

It was Sanji's fault to begin with. Law had told him to stop. He had already expressed his reasons why, and he'd made himself clear that this behavior was unacceptable. He folded it back up, finding the correct angles to fit the fold. He made to tear it up from there, but, after several moments of hesitation, put it in his pocket instead. Then he just stood there, unaccustomed to this new feeling that made him embarrassed to have done so.

 _Fuck, I'm so stupid_ , he thought, heading back home.

: :

In class Monday morning, Niji marched in first with a smug expression. Behind him, Yonji walked in with a wide grin. Mr Hansen frowned, sitting at the edge of his desk with a cautious air, eyes narrowed with suspicion. Law felt himself tense because he knew something was going to happen, and because it was associated with him, he knew those brothers were going to do something to expose what was happening between himself and Sanji. While he really didn't care what they said, it was only the Vinsmokes that made these things absolutely unavoidable.

Yonji stopped short near the doorway with a wide gesture.

"Our bro got a makeover over the weekend!" he said cheerily. "Check him out, Grandline High's own hotstuff, upcoming potential homecoming king, _Sanji_!"

Niji laughed nastily, making his way to his seat with a flippant wave of his hair. In Law's direction, he said with a leer, "He's got such pretty eyes, we helped him show them off! 'Course, he didn't like it, but whatever…hair grows back, right?"

Sanji walked in with such a sullen expression that no one dared to show reaction. But his bang had been cut so short that both curly eyebrows were exposed, the rest of the length untouched. He looked like a kid who had just taken scissors to it and left it. Just as it registered that his hair had been cut, another thing came to sight; his right arm was encased within a stark white cast, from hand up to his forearm.

"We were roughhousing too hard, and somebody doesn't drink enough milk," Yonji said with a shrug, making his way to his seat as Mr Hansen looked at Sanji with concern. Sanji headed to his desk without saying anything. His silence was just as unusual as his appearance. Nobody knew what to say, but they dared not look in his direction as he took a seat.

The other brothers settled in their seats, behaving as they normally did. Sanji clumsily retrieved his pen and notebook from his bag, then awkwardly clasped his pen in his left hand. For most of the class, he attempted to write, but he grew fed up towards the middle. Niji teased him for a bit, but when Sanji didn't respond to him, he moved onto another. Yonji offered to take notes for him, but lost track of what he was doing when prompted to answer a certain question.

Law gave nothing away. But for the rest of the day, he noticed that Sanji remained close to his brothers, glaring off to the distance or staring at his arm, like he couldn't believe the cast was there. He didn't smoke at all. After the events of Friday, Law knew it was because of him that this was happening. But he didn't know what to do. All he felt at this moment was…reaching out and seeing if Sanji were okay. Sanji would do that for him, he was very sure of it.

It felt awkward admitting that to himself, but he felt it. He couldn't ignore the feeling. So, he waited.

Later that afternoon, he took a hall pass from his last class and wandered down to where Sanji was located. He peered through the door window to see him sitting where he had been the last time. He was at his desk, hand over his exposed brow, while everyone was clustered up front, doing something at a few computer stations. Law didn't know where the teacher was. This part was going to be difficult, but he felt it was the only chance he had to reach out. And the only reason why he felt brave enough to do so was because this kid was brave enough to defy his own family just to make him feel someway. He entered the classroom silently, checking once more for the teacher, and then took the seat in front of Sanji's desk.

Sanji didn't even acknowledge him, but he knew Law was suddenly there.

"I'm sorry," he said thickly. "I can't talk to you, right now."

"Not roughhousing?" Law asked instead.

It took a few moments for Sanji to answer. And when he did, it was with a dazed tone. "I don't know. I'm kinda confused where it… _should_ have been roughhousing, but… somehow…when I think about it, it doesn't feel that way, now."

Law understood that feeling quite well. That shocked feeling where something felt utterly wrong when it stemmed from something that should have been familiar and expected. Sanji did not look at him. His hand obscured most of his face, so Law couldn't see what sort of expression he was making, but body language was enough, for him.

"I understand," he said quietly. He didn't say anything else. But it wasn't as if his tongue was stuck against the back of his teeth – he just wasn't sure what to say to make the situation any better when he knew that it wasn't. But he swallowed tightly, fiddling with the ash stain on his slacks. It took a lot to admit, "I kept them."

After a few moments, Sanji lifted his head just enough to look at him. He had a faint welt against his left eye, almost visible if it weren't for the remaining strands of his bang hanging there. But he didn't remove his hand. Law hadn't noticed before, but Sanji's eyes were a weird shade of brown – maybe he hadn't seen it because that curtain of hair always hung on one side, maybe he just didn't pay attention. But now that they were focused on him, he _noticed_.

He had to swallow again. "And I found the last one."

" _How_?" Sanji asked, bewildered. "Yonji had it."

"It was…on the grass."

Sanji put it together. "You came looking…?"

"I was told to stop encouraging you. It felt different."

Sanji looked down at his casted arm. He didn't know what to say, but he did feel a slight warmth in his chest. It was worth it, then.

"I'm sure it was just an accident," he then said.

Law looked at him pointedly, and Sanji had to look away. "Think about what's important for your safety – "

" _You're_ important to me," Sanji interrupted firmly, looking at him straight on.

Law just didn't understand this fucking kid. He felt himself shake his head, ever so slightly, searching for a lie or trick in that resolved expression of his. It upset him because he didn't see any of that. He wasn't worth _this_. How many times did he have to stress that? He said, "I know someone that'll look for answers."

"It's nothing like that."

"They look very sorry that it happened. And what's this shit about your hair? What sort of _family_ thinks it's appropriate to physically degrade one of their own just because you're not following their ideals?"

Sanji said nothing for a few moments, but he did give a slight sniffle. Law studied the clipped part of his hair, seeing that it could be fixed. Someone with enough talent could turn the jagged ends into bangs. It would create a weird, artsy haircut, but then again, Sanji could even cut the rest of it short.

He wasn't sure what to say after that, but when Ms Kalifa cleared her throat noisily, he was suddenly reminded of where he was and what he was doing. He looked over to see that she'd re-entered the room and that he'd been noticed, because there were puzzled looks in their direction. He left quickly through the door he'd entered and headed back to class.

Sanji didn't acknowledge the curious stares from his classmates as Ms Kalifa continued on with the lesson. All these years he'd accepted the fact that he lacked support within his own household, but when this happened, it felt so much more different than a verbal attack. They roughhoused, they took physical shots at each other, but what really bothered him was that Judge didn't even seem to believe him when he'd complained of his arm hurting that night. Or even care. It was only when he started feeling sick that Judge did anything, but even then, he said _nothing_ to him at the hospital.

Sanji knew he was angry at him, knowing that Ichiji had given him details of the matter. But it felt worse not knowing Judge's thoughts than it did knowing them. He felt like he was stuck in a daze, tentatively acknowledging a matter but not accepting it. It _felt_ different; therefore, it felt frightening.

* * *

A/N: Sanji's lesson plan in Yaoi Logic: convince a guy he's 'gay' to fit his needs. XD

 **Naghi-Tan** : he has his moments ; )

 **RR** : Thank you! They are sensitive issues here, and that's what makes this story different to write, because he's not the 'usual' I write him as. So keeping him in this story's character is sometimes hard to do, and forces it to proceed slowly, but…the ending is worth it!

 **Sarge1130** : One of Sanji's qualities that are needed here, for this 'short story' turned multi-chapter run! (exhausted) But he has to fine-tune it, because he hasn't used it before, and, really, he's only using it to get his way and prove his point. Little by little, though, the more he experiences and starts to understand of Law, he'll be better at it. Law's parents are suffering; their mistakes because of grief had turned into something unfairly regretful, so they have to work hard, and it's not easy to fix something like this. The world won't turn around for Law automatically because they want to love him and 'make up for it'; it'll take time and a lot of effort. But they are willing to do so, that's the key. And Smoker and the others' plan for reuniting the family safely has commenced, so it'll be that that will determine their future. Their names came after much debate, but they seemed like such a happy group in canon, so it seemed fitting. Their son is almost brand new to them, and that's the hard part. He's not their 'little boy' anymore, and that's why Law was so stressed. As hard as Smoker tried placing him in various homes before, because he's older and stubborn, he knows he's a tough nut to get through. But really, he's just a vulnerable kid that's been hurt too many times, and so his parents have a lot to work on. Sanji's fighting spirit keeps him spunky ; ) Even through his own difficult times.


	18. Chapter 18

**18**

* * *

That evening after practice, Ichiji let himself into Sanji's room. The boy had holed himself up in there after they returned home from school, and seemed to have stayed there ever since. He frowned at the lump on the bed, looking over at the desk that was unexpectedly clean, messenger bag sitting on the floor. It was unusual to see this when Sanji was usually so viligent on his school work throughout the evening.

"Get up," he ordered. "We're going to dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"Dad says you have to come eat with us. It'll make the pain pills easier to accept if you have food in you."

"I _said_ , I'm not hungry. I'm not going."

"Why are you acting like such a child?" Ichiji asked, walking up to the bed. "It was an accident. We were too rough. These things happen, sometimes."

"This was _not_ an accident!" Sanji snapped, sitting up and indicating the section of hair missing.

Ichiji sniffed. "If you'd just listened to us instead of continuously defying us, Niji wouldn't have had to cut it to make you pay attention."

"That's bullshit. And unless we're stopping somewhere so I can have it fixed, then I'm not going."

"Dad said it's up to you what you want to do with your hair – "

" _He won't let me go anywhere_!"

Ichiji shrugged. "Then it's a bad haircut, it'll grow out."

"Unbelievable!"

Ichiji studied his younger brother, noting the expression he wore. For a few moments, he was angry at Sanji for making them do this. This was Sanji's own fault. If he would just stop trying to be different from them, deviate from natural order, Ichiji might've felt a shred of sympathy for him. But his younger brother was intensely stubborn and didn't want to change, and Ichiji just wanted him to understand his position. It felt like things were escalating to new points within them because of Sanji's actions.

When this happened, all of them knew when it did. The crack of bone had been loud despite all their shouts and movement, and Ichiji had felt it give underneath his grip. For a moment, all of them had gone still. All of them knew it had gone too far. But when Judge had dismissed it, it felt fine to think of it as an accident.

'Boys will be boys,' he had said with annoyance. And when Sanji started to get sick later that night, Judge had been put out to take him to the hospital, knowing how long of a wait it'd be. But because their father didn't think of it as something big, that 'boys will be boys', Ichiji did not feel bad for his actions.

So, in turn, Ichiji didn't want Sanji to think of himself as a 'victim' in this situation because he brought it upon himself. Ichiji hoped it taught him a lesson.

"No more letters to boys," he added, just in case Sanji didn't get it the first time.

Sanji just rolled his eyes, avoiding his expression. Ichiji had the startling thought that his usually agreeable younger brother was changing, growing _away_ from them. And for what reason? Over another _boy_? Ichiji didn't understand. They were all born together, brought up together, and it didn't make sense that one would want to leave the structure of the group just because they suddenly wanted to be 'different'.

"Why are you so rebellious?" he asked with frustration, crossing his arms.

Sanji fiddled with the section of cut hair, then snapped, "I am someone who refuses any allegiance with my family because I never had the support I need to feel as if I'm truly part of it. Why should I follow control and tradition because of this? For years I've tried to get some sort of understanding, and struggled to fit in, and it wasn't happening! So when something calls for me, I'm going to go to it, looking for a better fit! So don't act surprised when I do!"

Staring at him incredulously, Ichiji did have to admit he was right on that part. Sanji _did_ try. He griped, whined, complained, fought, and now that he'd had a taste of the outside, he wanted to be outside. So it made sense for Ichiji to understand that reasoning. But to go to another _boy_ for it? That was a part Ichiji did not understand, and he wouldn't try to at this point.

Both of them heard Judge calling for them both. Ichiji looked at Sanji, waiting for him to move, but Sanji refused.

"Dad, he doesn't want to!" Ichiji called downstairs. He heard Judge's exasperated comments, then his call for Ichiji to join them. Ichiji looked back at Sanji. "At least we finally got through to you. I don't know why you continuously push us to make these kinds of decisions."

"I didn't _make_ you break my arm!" Sanji exclaimed with immense frustration.

"Should've tapped out. It's your own fault that you're so stubborn," Ichiji said with a shrug, turning away to walk downstairs.

Once they were gone, Sanji left his bed, and walked out to the bathroom he shared with his brothers. Looking into the mirror, he examined his miserable expression before looking at his 'haircut'. He returned to his room, turned on his laptop, and opened up the Youtube icon. He researched a few videos before going in search of scissors. Nearly an hour later, he convinced himself that he looked like some medieval dork. He'd trimmed it as best as he could to make it look manageable as a fringe, not wanting to cut the rest because eventually, this part would grow out to join the rest.

His brothers were doing their best to break him down, however they wanted to word it, but they would not succeed. They wanted him to be obedient to their 'ideals', but why should he fit their ideals when he'd struggled to do so on his own all this time? He hadn't been noticed, then!

He had to hold his head high. He couldn't go to school with his head down, anymore. After all, despite this situation, Law had told him he'd kept those notes. He'd gone out of his way to approach him. He was angry _for_ him. This was enough to give Sanji strength to hold onto his resolve.

What mattered most was that he'd gotten Law's attention. Not because of _this_ , but because of his persistence. Besides, he had to show the older kid that standing up to things that constantly tried to keep him down was the only way to live life. Not allow it to beat one down until they couldn't stand, anymore. He hoped to be the one to support him through whatever it was he was going through, because he wasn't alone.

Damn, Sanji wished that Law would write him back. If Sanji had enough mind to speak at that time, he would've pressed for verbal answers, but he'd felt so dazed that he couldn't even focus very well. Speaking of this situation aloud had been terrifying. But Law _knew_. He understood., and Sanji felt he had the support he needed in someone else, even if Law didn't directly know what Sanji was going through.

He said he understood – that was enough for Sanji.

But Sanji wasn't going to let this break him. He cleaned up the mess he made, showered, took a pain pill, and went to bed early. The next morning, his brothers mocked and teased him for his new haircut, but Sanji stubbornly refused to drop his head. After all, he had someone to be strong, for.

: :

Sitting on the bleachers, Law watched his classmates climb over each other in a rambunctious game of dodgeball. He was allowed to sit out because he'd complained of kidney pain – Garp lecturing him noisily on the benefits of a better diet – so when he felt the bench shift, he wasn't surprised. Sanji sat next to him in silence, watching all the kids on the courts shout, flail, throw and run amuck as Garp napped underneath one of the basketball goals. Law studied his haircut, noting the work put into it. Instead of the defeated kid he was yesterday, Sanji looked his usual haughty self, and Law felt amazed.

"Don't stare. I look stupid and I know it. But if I keep my head up, then they can't feel too proud of themselves," Sanji muttered, combing through his hair with anxious fingers.

Law furrowed his brow with doubt. "That'll only encourage them to try harder."

"What are they going to do, break my other arm? A leg? It'll look suspicious after awhile, right?"

Law stared at him for a few moments, then looked away. "You're a fucking _weird_ kid."

"The only thing I'm truly angry about is that dad won't let me smoke. So, I'm here to bum a few off you."

Law looked at him for several more moments. Was that safe to do? If he did this small thing, there was either the possibility of Sanji taking more and more from him, but at this point in his timeline, he couldn't imagine what else. When he couldn't picture anything bad of it, he then looked to the gym teacher. "Garp's asleep. We can go right now."

Sanji saw that it was true, and wondered how someone could just let themselves fall asleep standing up like that. He'd heard the rumors but never paid attention to it. He looked back at the floor and _really_ looked at the kids laughing, shouting, struggling to hit their opponents' faces instead of bodies like they were instructed to. It suddenly occurred to him that he never really looked at his classmates, before. He'd always been so focused straight ahead of him, at his phone, on his notes, on what he needed to do to complete an assignment, and never really just…stopped and _looked_. It almost felt like he was looking at them for the first time.

He followed Law through the locker room, and they went outside. Once they reached the concession stand, Sanji pushed himself through the window to look in, scanning for Ace. Certain that he wasn't there, he was grateful for the lit cigarette Law gave him. In the end, neither of them said anything, and it was okay. There wasn't any pressure to do so, and there was nothing that needed yet to be said. It was an odd feeling for Sanji to experience, because he _always_ felt as if he needed to say something to fill a void. And it was odd for Law because he was _always_ on guard, pressured to do so, and yet he felt nothing of that, now. Whether it was a new understanding or just some strange sudden comfort, both of them almost felt at peace at that moment.

After class, when Law stopped at his locker to retrieve his texts for his next class, he found another note. He tucked that into his notebook, then started walking, wondering if Sanji felt uncomfortable or scared knowing that this type of thing would happen again. Was he really that brave, or just that unaware of how things could change for the worst?

In a way, it made him think of living with his parents, again. This past weekend's meeting had been just as intense, but he still couldn't bring himself to talk. He still stood at Smoker's side, refusing to participate in conversation because he still couldn't trust himself to speak clearly, he was still afraid of being rejected – knowing that it could still happen – and his anger was still present as they expressed themselves with stumbling voices and struggled attempts to engage him into conversation. Even as Lorenzo shared bits of himself at Smoker's prompting, as Lainy described their new home and their pets, Law wasn't interested in responding. Their personalities and struggle forced him to remember small memories of them in the same state before Lamie's passing. He noticed that they didn't mention her, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about her, either.

Tashigi and Hina prompted him from time to time, but gave up only to continue detailing the process of releasing him from foster care into their care.

While he still felt anger and resentment towards them, still upset at the efforts being made to force him to face them, he was quite aware that Smoker was making the effort to speed up the process of pulling him from Doflamingo's 'care'. That part made him angry, worried about who would replace him once he left.

'I'm pulling his file,' Smoker had told him afterward. 'I don't care what sort of influence he has with the boss, it's not fair for that guy to rely on a kid to take care of his brother. If he can't do it himself, he shouldn't have to rely on our kids to do so. There are other services available in this city he could utilize for assistance.'

'Rosinante likes kids,' Law had muttered petulantly. But he had to admit, it had taken Rosinante awhile to get used to him. Because of his state, Rosinante wanted no one near him, to get close to him, but once Law had been forced into his boundaries, Rosinante had turned caring and clingy, and Law had needed that.

To be needed, that's what everyone was looking for. He couldn't quite express this to Smoker, who would not see it that way. As far as that man was concerned, Rosinante should be in the care of adults that could properly see to him, not a gangly teen with trust issues. Smoker didn't quite understand that, for kids like Law, having the need to feel wanted after being rejected, preyed upon, and/or given up for a lost cause meant searching for that fulfillment in places like these, accepting only what 'felt right' at that moment, or for some time. Rosinante had given him that; no matter how tough or hard it was, Rosinante was what Law needed.

So Law was given a new form of anger, a helpless one, because even if his birthday was coming up, his future was still unclear. He could go home to his parents, but that was whole new world of stress and uncertainty. Because what if it they couldn't bond to this new form of him? Things weren't going to magically fit themselves together, and they were stupid to be hopeful about it. He was a human being, not a pet from the local animal shelter.

But he also felt stupid for the bit of hope he himself felt in return. He didn't want to allow himself to think about that because it was dangerous.

He wasn't paying attention because when he walked into the wall, he was shoved so hard that it nearly caused him to lose his footing, slamming up against the lockers with a startled noise. Once he recovered, he realized he didn't walk into a wall; it was Yonji.

"Now I smell like a trash can!" Yonji complained, wiping at himself and gagging.

Right behind him was Niji, and he said with a sneer, "What a prissy piece of shit. Touch him, and he flails like a little baby. Sanji's tougher than that."

Both of them cackled as they walked on. Law looked after them, holding onto his notebook tightly. Then he looked inside of it, making sure he hadn't lost anything. Normally, he would've just slunk away, but he couldn't do that. It was a deliberate act, and they both wanted him to know that it was. They had no business in this end of the hall, so it was conclusive that they were only making sure their brother was still following their rules. He looked after them again, seeing that they were comfortable leaving their backs exposed. That group was afraid of nobody in the school, and it was because of their reputation and strength that did this.

"It wouldn't be wise to do anything about it, now," Sabo said nearby, Koala standing next to him. "They want you to react so they can in return."

It annoyed Law that there were these characters everywhere he went. Why couldn't these kids pay attention to their own lives, instead of inserting themselves into others' affairs?

"Why are they pestering you so badly?" he heard Sabo ask as he turned to walk away.

Law already knew why, but he couldn't say what because it wasn't any of Sabo's business. So he walked on.

Koala told Sabo, "Why would they target him? He doesn't talk or do anything in class that would draw their attention. It's Sanji that bothers him."

"Because the other three feel threatened by Sanji getting close to him," Sabo explained patiently. "They're worried their brother is gay, so they're acting out."

" _What_? How do you get all that?" Koala exclaimed, puzzled. "Sanji is a jerk in class just like they are!"

"Er…well…rumor is, uh, those two are sneaking around just to, uh, see each other," Sabo stuttered. "And those guys know."

Koala stared at him with surprise. "… _What_?"

Nervously, Sabo played with his hair. "I didn't tell you? Sorry about that…"

" _NO_ , you didn't tell me! How long has this been going on?"

"Uh…for awhile, now."

Koala stared at him incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me? I'm in the same class they are, and all I see is Sanji bothering him, being a jerk!"

"Uh…no. Look, the reason why I didn't tell you is because it's not…anyone's business, really. And, quite honestly, I trust my sources."

Koala put a hand on her hip and stared up at him for several tense seconds, Sabo looking uncomfortable. "Ace once convinced you that The Rock and Dwayne Johnson were two separate people."

Sabo looked terribly mortified. "Oh my god, that was in sixth grade! _Sixth_!"

"So, if he's telling you these two boys are 'seeing each other', what does that mean directly?"

"That they talk amicably! They're very friendly with each other!"

She reached out and grabbed an ear, shaking him fiercely. " _That does NOT mean they're gay_ , you idiot! Those two constantly harass Sanji for being gay, but he returns the gesture just the same! They throw around slurs like it's nothing, but that doesn't mean _those_ two are! You're just as bad as they are for harassing someone that doesn't even talk to anybody here!"

"No, no, no! Hear me out!" Sabo protested as the bell rang, and they hurried towards class. "Once Ace told me that, I started watching, too! They pass notes to each other! Law talks to him just fine. They seek each other out in class – Roronoa himself said that Law purposefully checked upon Sanji yesterday. Literally sneaked into their classroom and had a conversation with Sanji until Ms Kalifa finally noticed! They are friends!"

"But that doesn't mean they're _gay_ , Sabo!" Koala snapped at him incredulously. "Friends are fine, but just because they are, does that mean _you and Ace_ have a thing together, too?"

"AHH! That's my _brother_!" Sabo protested, looking horrified.

"Not by blood! Stop spreading those rumors!" she snapped, walking into her class while he hurried up to the second floor towards his, utterly embarrassed.

: :

"What? How dare you question me?" Ace asked lazily, Luffy chewing on his nachos as he frowned up at Sabo. "Of course I'm not lying about this! The places I've been, man, allowed me to see and hear everything!"

"What does that mean, exactly?" Luffy asked, crunching noisily. "What are you guys talking about?"

Sabo frowned at Luffy. They were lounging in the middle of the quad, which was full of kids enjoying their lunch break, and while Koala and Nami visited noisily over social media posts and the current fashion trends, the boys were just trying to take a nap.

"Look, just to clarify some things. I mean, Ace, are you _sure_ you heard the things you did? Because now I'm really starting to doubt myself."

"Yeah. Those two are a lot closer than people think. And I think that's why those brothers were throwing such a fit, Friday," Ace said, yawning noisily. "Something happened in last period because those guys were facing off in the parking lot, and they were bawling Sanji out for something, because he was ready to take them all on. Roronoa also said it looked like he and Ichiji were fighting over a piece of paper. So I'm thinking it's something to do with Trafalgar, because Sanji tries to ignore him in public, now. But yet they're still talking when they think they're free to do so. It's sooooo romantic."

"Why would you pick on someone you like?" Luffy asked incredulously.

"Why would you defend someone that picks on you?" Ace returned.

While Luffy thought about that one, Sabo said, "But it doesn't mean anything if it's not confirmed, and if this truly is so, then why are we getting involved?"

"you're the one still walking around, observing!"

"I'm only conveniently there to stop whatever it is that's transpiring right in front of me! Plus," Sabo added, "I don't like how those guys think they could just continue being dicks to everyone in school, and I find it easier to step in, now, knowing that they can be dropped. Maybe I'm just waiting for a chance, myself. Rotten kids."

"But you'd gotten your revenge on Niji, so there's really no need for you to be involved."

"I did…but…it wasn't until I'd received that message that I knew just how bad it was because she refused to tell me all of it."

"And Sanji was the one to send that to you? Don't you think it was because he was only getting back at his own brother than to do it for a good cause?"

"Still, even if it was for his own selfish reasons, now that I'm aware of these things, I feel like I can't quite step away from it, yet."

"You're so snoopy!"

"Sabo," Luffy interrupted before Sabo could yell at Ace for that complaint, "what's in it for you if you keep stepping in? Like, I just don't like bullies. And while I don't care for that Sanji kid because he keeps fucking with me, I don't understand why you're stepping in for both of them."

Sabo thought about it with a frown. "Well…see, I…at first was stepping in because Trafalgar isn't that much of a fighter. I can't stand to see kids being bullied. But after noticing certain things, I think that it's not just him being bullied. I see another kid trying to pull himself out of that hellish group and being forcibly dragged back. And, so, I don't think that he's all that bad. Sometimes, we grow as a product of our environment, but what if the environment isn't what we want? Don't we go looking for something else?"

"Yeah, but…he's such an asshole!"

"Look at it this way, Luffy. Instead of yelling at him when he bothers you, try turning it around. You say he gets you on your way to PE, so instead of letting him attack first, perhaps give him one of your snacks. See what happens. Maybe it's only attention he's seeking, why he bothers you so much."

Luffy snorted, rolling his eyes. "No way that's happening."

"That's weird," Ace complained. "Let's just stay out of their business."

" _You're the one who started this in the first place_!" Sabo yelled at him.

"You're the one unnaturally obsessed with it."

"I'll let you know how it goes," Luffy decided. "You're more full of common sense than Ace ever is."

"Hey!"

"I just think, with how much effort Sanji is putting into fighting with his brothers that perhaps he needs a little support, too," Sabo added. "They're angry at him for some reason, so why don't we just wait and see what that reason is? You don't really think his arm was broken purposefully, do you?"

"Accidents happen," Ace and Luffy said together, both of them looking at each other with understanding.

"I don't know…I feel there's something more to it. It makes me uncomfortable, to be honest. So, I guess that's my reasoning."

"Not like you can do anything about it."

"Maybe I can't, but…I can be understanding. I know what it feels like to have to defy family to be whom I want to be, so I think, in a way, I see myself in that kid," Sabo admitted.

Both Ace and Luffy looked at him with uncertainty, but shrugged in unison.

"Whatever. Don't complain when it backfires on you," Ace said, relaxing to go back to sleep when the bell rang, and he released a loud yell of frustration.

: :

The next afternoon in the library, Sanji felt along the ridge of Law's nose, feeling for any inconsistencies that might require more care. But he felt nothing, and Law just stood there with a frown, hoping no one would see them in the back row.

"As long as you don't do anything stupid, this should be fine," Sanji decided, touching his own nose to determine consistency.

Law straightened away from him, hands in the pockets of his sweater as he fought off his nervousness. "Not like I'm looking to do anything stupid, so…"

"Never know with you, because you don't put yourself first when it comes to care. Are you eating right? More?"

"That is an invasive question – "

"It's common sense! I want to make sure you have some!"

"Not that it changed anything. We're still where we were then, too."

"Will you go back to your parents?" Sanji asked, looking at a row of books to his left.

"Smoker's trying to make it happen," Law said reluctantly, looking at the stack to his left.

"That's his name?"

"Not that it matters, but yeah."

"Don't you want to?"

"I don't know."

Exhaling heavily, Sanji then muttered, "in the end it doesn't matter because you won't be going to this school for very long, will you?"

"Probably not."

"Why do you make it so final? You're established here, now, so you should just stay!"

"I have to go wherever I'm placed."

" _Whatever_. I think if your parents really wanted to kiss ass, they'd move to this area so that you can be close to Rosinante and still attend this school. After all," Sanji added quickly as Law gathered breath to reject that, "it would be harder on you to go to another school and have to speak all over again _and_ , here, everyone's already accepted you and they're supportive of you, and having to find that all over again is just going to stress you the fuck out because all this shit you just went through, you'll have to go through all over again, so, you should really consider staying here. After all, studies have shown that if you're stressed to the max then you can't really regulate yourself as you're comfortable with, _and_ you'll end up making bad decisions that you wouldn't have if you just had one less level of stress to deal with, so thinking on that, staying here would be good for you in the end of things because you're already comfortable here."

"Do you even breathe when you speak?" Law asked him incredulously.

"Who needs air to speak? Listen, you need to tell your parents this so that you can stay here – "

"I don't need to tell them anything."

"You need to stay here!"

"I don't need to do anything! Look, whatever happens, happens. It's not within my control."

" _Why not_?"

"Who said I even had control in the first place?"

"You do have control! All you need to do is speak up and assert yourself!"

"Stop yelling, you're going to get us kicked out of here," Law mumbled, looking in the direction of the librarian, who lifted her head from her desk.

Sanji lowered his voice. "All you have to do is tell them what you feel. This is your condition. At this point in your life, they'll have to listen to what you say because they have a lot of work to do in making things up to you."

"That's not how things like this work – "

"When is it _your_ turn to take control of _your_ life?"

"When I had that chance, _this_ is what happened of it!" Law snapped at him, gesturing at himself. "This is the choice I made, and look how well that ended up!"

"It might've been your choice to leave, but whatever happened to make you leave, that wasn't yours! Someone else made that decision for you!" Sanji snapped back. "Now that you've come this far, it's your turn to make a fucking choice! And I say you stay here!"

" _How is that my own fucking choice_?" Law asked curiously, almost releasing a deprecating laugh.

"Well, I stated my reasons why you should," Sanji mumbled, picking at a book spine.

"And besides, this is more of your wanting me to stay, and I told you – "

"It's not like that!" Sanji then shook his head, uttering a slight growl. "Okay, so it is! _So what_? It's not like you are, too, right?"

"…Right. But, in order not to give the wrong idea – "

"So, you would just up and leave anyway, just so you don't 'give me the wrong idea'? Put yourself into another terrible situation because you don't want me confused? Is that it?"

"Ugh, your voice gets so _shrill_ – "

"Forget about what _I_ want, think about what _you_ want! If you go to another school, how long will it take for you to catch up, again? Putting yourself into another classroom full of kids that don't understand that you don't want to talk because you don't want to, and offending everybody - !"

"I don't care about that!"

" _You do too care_ because it was stressing you the fuck out this whole entire time! Stop saying that when it's not even the true story!"

"Why the fuck do you work yourself up into such a rage fit when things don't go your way?" Law asked him incredulously.

"I know, _I know_ , I have to work on that! I just get so frustrated that no one listens to me when I have an opinion I want to express," Sanji said wearily.

"People hear you, it's just up to them if they want to listen."

"Is it always the wrong thing to say, or what? Do my expressions _not_ matter in the end, even if I say them?"

"It depends on who you're talking to."

"The only people I talk to are you and them, and they sure as fuck don't listen to me, either."

"I don't."

Sanji reached up to clutch at his hair before slicing his hand through the air with a heavy gesture. "I know. _I know_ in the end I don't matter to anybody, but goddamn it, that doesn't mean I have to sit in silence and take it. At least I'm saying something, and even if it's not being heard, or even held in some kind of trust, at least I said it! How many times has this opportunity slipped through your own fingers, and you regretted not taking the chance to at least express yourself?"

"Too many," Law mumbled, looking away.

"Then stop letting other people make your decisions for you!"

"Then I should stop listening to you, right?"

"You don't listen to me anyway!"

"God, what the fuck do you want?"

" _I want you to stay here at this school_!"

"So you can get the wrong idea? You're not getting anything from me!"

"All I want from you is your fucking attention!"

"You have it!"

"All that other stuff you said, I don't know shit about, and you keep thinking I'm – I'm this fucking asshole that only wants you for one thing, but you have to stop thinking that, that people want you for something heinous! Your parents want you, and they're trying very hard to do that – "

"They should've wanted me along time ago, when it mattered, Sanji!"

"I'm sure they did! I'm sure they did but they went the wrong way with it, and they made a mistake, and it's a mistake they'll always pay for from now on, and you're not even giving them a chance, like you aren't giving me a chance, and it's so frustrating - !"

"You don't know anything about that! You don't know anything about my life, so don't fucking come in here and tell me that I should be different towards people who treated me in a way I'll never forget and made the choice to leave for my own safety, so get that through your fucking head!" Law snapped at him, feeling his face and neck redden with rising anger.

" _For your own safety_? The fuck you saying? What 'safety' did you find all those years after, shithead? Look at you now! You sure as fuck don't look like you found any!"

"Oh, _fuck you_ \- !"

"Fuck yourself, fucking asshole!"

"Before _any_ fucking begins on anyone's part," Smoker interrupted, eyebrows lifted and startling them both into wide-eyed expressions of horror, "I'm here to take my charge off school grounds. It seems he'd forgotten he had an appointment with us, today. But, go on. This is an interesting conversation I'm hearing."

Flaming red, Sanji pushed out from the row to head to class, Smoker reaching out and grabbed him by the shirt and forcing him back as Law continued to look mortified, looking towards the librarian, who was frowning in their direction.

"What happened to your arm?" Smoker asked Sanji curiously.

"Uh…nothing. Just…it broke," Sanji stuttered, attempting to stuff that hand into his pocket but failing miserably.

"It just _broke_? How does that happen?"

"Uh, just…home. My brothers and I…we fight a lot, and so, this happened, and, uh…it's nothing."

"So you broke it over one of your brothers' heads?" Smoker asked skeptically. "That's what happened? What'd your dad say about that?"

"Nothing. It happens. Boys will be boys."

Smoker frowned deeply at that. "This haircut, too? Because that doesn't look like something any teenage boy would want to look like, this side of the world."

Sanji reached out automatically to cover that part of his head with his broken arm, bumped his cast against his forehead and quickly switched sides. Then mumbled, "It'll grow back."

"I can see why it happened," Smoker said gruffly. "You're pretty mouthy."

"I didn't ask for it to happen! I didn't tell them to do this! Why the fuck would I do that?"

"No need to get riled up, kid, it was just an observation. Calm down. Look, I think it's great that you have the personality of a honey badger, because it might be useful for ya down the road. We need more divorce attorneys like you out here. Growing up to fill papa's place, right?"

Sanji frowned fitfully, Law furrowing his brow. "I don't want to be a fucking attorney."

"But you already argue like one. Good job, kid. You're showing great signs of being a successful man, much like your daddy."

"Just because we have the last name doesn't mean shit! I don't want to be like him!"

"Why are you talking so much shit right now?" Law asked Smoker. "What business is it of yours to be calling other kids out for something their parents are?"

Smoker shrugged, but he could not hide the tiny smile that made his lips curl. He looked at Sanji. "My apologies. He's right, I shouldn't have pushed the issue. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Stop talking so condescendingly, no one likes that."

"A…I want to cook," Sanji mumbled, looking at the floor while Law snapped at Smoker. "I don't want to be a lawyer."

"That's…interesting. Your father agree to that?" Smoker asked curiously.

"No."

"He's already got you set on the road he wants, huh? Parents will do that. They got this idea in their heads where they want their kids to go, but hell if the kids themselves decide for themselves what they want to do, and where they want to go on their own. That's what it sounds like, here."

"Parents should at least listen to what their kids want to say before deciding on anything!" Sanji insisted, adjusting his bag.

" _Friends_ should do the same," Smoker pointed out. "Instead of insisting that one should do as they say, they should be more supportive of what one thinks and feels rather than how _they_ themselves feel."

Sanji's lips tightened, and he lowered his head. "That doesn't matter here because I'm not his friend," he muttered. He then turned and stalked out from the library, and Smoker crossed his arms before looking at Law. Law glanced at him from the corner of his eye before turning away, fiddling with his sweater.

"He didn't let me finish. This goes both ways, don't you think?" Smoker asked.

"I don't know," Law mumbled.

"Oh, you lost your voice all of a sudden? You know, it was real interesting listening to that conversation I just heard. In the five years I've been dealing with you, I never heard any of that coming from you."

"I don't know what to say."

"You have some real interesting thoughts, you know. It wouldn't hurt to express them when you can to those close to you. Now, if you could do the same with your parents, they'd know where they stood with you. As it is, they don't know what the fuck to do or think, but they're just like that kid. They want your attention and your opinion, so why not give it to them, if even for a short time?"

Sullen, Law stared at his shoes. Seeing that he wasn't going to get anything more out of him, Smoker then said, "C'mon. it was agreed upon on Saturday that you'd attend counseling for the process. Today was the day, and it looks as if you'd forgotten. Don't leave that kid hanging, through. He embarrassed himself telling you what he felt, so you at least owe him an apology or something, for making me overhear this personal issue between you two."

Mortified, wondering just how much Smoker heard and how he interpreted the conversation, Law reflected on what had happened minutes earlier. While his first instinct was to deny that he owed Sanji anything, he did feel something of a notion to at least say something to Sanji.

"Hold on," Law then mumbled, moving towards the notebook he abandoned on one of the tables nearby. Once he found the note Sanji had left for him earlier, he opened it up. Reading it quickly, he found his pen, then marked a few lines underneath it while Smoker exchanged a thumbs up with the librarian who flashed a similar sign back. He then refolded it and straightened up. "I'll meet you out front."

"I'll be there."

* * *

A/N: Last chapter for awhile. I'm super stoked for this other project I'm working on!

RR: Both of them are pretty supportive of each other – it'll just take some time letting them get comfortable with this new groove they're in because of each other's efforts. They'll get there eventually.

Naghi-Tan: Thank you for reading, even as exhausted as you are! Your work is important, and my fics will be here however long I am! : )

Snowflake97: Sanji is slowly learning his own way out of his fam, and it's starting to show, no matter how hard they try to hold him back. Breaking away from it is proving to be costly, though.


	19. Chapter 19

**19**

* * *

Sanji was quiet for the rest of the day. He was upset about their confrontation, and after it all, he felt attacked, and he was tired of feeling that way. Sanji knew that certain aspects of himself were definite rejection matter, but he just didn't know how to relay himself properly. Smoker was right: ' _Friends_ should….be more supportive of what one thinks and feels rather than how _they_ themselves feel.'

He felt he was blasting the other kid with his wants and needs without any regard to Law's feelings and thoughts, and he knew why he was doing so; he just didn't know of any other way to go about it. Of course Law would defy his wishes; of course he made sense, but it didn't make any sense for him to move away completely so that Sanji didn't 'get the wrong idea'. Sanji knew he made sense explaining it to Law.

Then again, having Smoker say those things to Sanji didn't help, either, and it was maddening that this was the Vinsmoke reputation, the road they owned, and he didn't want any part of that road. He didn't want that reputation making his choices for him.

So Sanji was quiet, his upset thoughts swirling within himself, and he didn't want to read what Law had written him because it was more than likely his usual rebelliousness; Sanji had crumpled it, and tore it into shreds because his temper took over. He'd stuffed it all into the trash without a second thought.

Now, he was seated with his family at a restaurant Judge wanted to try out, the dining establishment small with wide windows, but holding a touch of class to it that Judge enjoyed. It wasn't anything impressive to Sanji, but he was feeling tired and upset over the day's actions, and his brothers kept ragging on him for his mood. He picked at the chicken and rice on his plate, ignoring his siblings as best as he could, thinking about the library scene over and over, trying to figure out where he could redo certain conversation threads to get a more satisfactory one.

When their plates were being picked up, he pushed his out so that it could be, as well.

"What's wrong with your food?" he was asked gruffly, by an older man with an absurdly long braided mustache, and a bright white uniform. Judge had complained about his service, earlier, once their order was taken, and when they were given annoyed stares for the brothers speaking in their usual excited fashion throughout their dining hour.

"It was gross, and I hope to never eat here again," Sanji muttered rudely, propping his chin upon his left palm as he glared at his cast.

"What was 'gross' about it?" the man snapped at him.

Sanji realized that he wasn't moving until he got his answer, and sat up in his chair, looking over at his father, who indicated that he answer the guy. His brothers watched with interest. Flustered by the attention, Sanji answered, "Everything about it tasted like complete shit. Why are you even asking me, I don't want to even be here…I hate eating out all the fucking time..."

"My kid is never happy, don't worry about it," Judge said, shifting in his chair to find his wallet. "There's no pleasing him and his difficult palate. This place was satisfying to the rest of us."

"'Difficult palate' huh?" The old man noticed Sanji rolling his eyes at his father, looking back down at his cast. "If you're looking to keep this brat out of your hair, I could use him in the kitchen for some tasks."

"My kid doesn't need a job – "

" _I don't have time for a job_!"

"If he has a job, he can't get into trouble," Ichiji said over Sanji's frustrated shout, picking at his teeth with a toothpick. "He'll spend most of his time here, and not at other people's places, causing a fuss. Plus, we won't have to hear his bitching every time we eat out, father."

Judge reconsidered this, much to Sanji's horror. "Only involved in clean up, not actual food duties?"

"Of course."

"That sounds agreeable. Let me speak to the manager to make this happen."

"I am the manager, owner, and head chef here. He can start tomorrow, six to nine."

"Oh. Well, then. Sanji. When your brothers go off to practice, you can stay here. That should make it difficult for you to get into any trouble. Thanks, uh…"

"Zeff." With that he walked off with an armful of plates and utensils, and Sanji scowled after him, then at Judge.

"My arm is broken, what am I supposed to do with that?" Sanji snapped at Judge.

"He'll find you some tasks. It'll be good for you. Let's go."

Uttering a long, angry growl, Sanji shoved out of his chair and left it there, trailing after them as they headed to the car.

"What's your problem?" Ichiji fell back to ask him impatiently. "You've been in a mood all fucking day."

"None of your damn business. I hate all of you."

"Get over it, already. We're stuck together for life."

Sanji rolled his eyes again, getting into the car with Niji and Yonji at the doors. Once home, he headed straight to his room. He stared down at his laptop for some time, fiddling with the length of his cast. Were his words even reaching Law? Did they even matter? He supposed not, with the way Law reacted to him. That hurt, and he had to think about why it did. He liked the boy, but he knew it was one sided. He knew it would go nowhere. Law was not 'like him', but Sanji could still be his friend. _Try_ , at least. Everyone needed them, didn't they? But what were the advantages of he himself having a friend that didn't do much in return – wasn't that the same thing as being around his brothers? Was that the point of friendship, to help carry the weight when it was needed? Law did come to him on rare instances to speak up for him, or did Law only feel obligated to?

He had to think that Law wasn't _like him_ , and maybe the decisions Sanji thought were worth it actually weren't for Law. They were decisions that Sanji himself would make if he felt he were in Law's shoes. Smoker was right.

But Sanji _was_ thankful for Law being responsive to him earlier that day, because he'd really needed that. Didn't Law feel the same way when Sanji was there for him?

Maybe not. Maybe Sanji wasn't good at this being-friends, thing after all. Maybe Ichiji was right; family should stick together. After all, their road was already set for them; Law's wasn't. Law had made himself clear; he didn't want Sanji's help. Clearly, he wasn't ready to leave the comfort of his security zones. Friends should _support_ each other's decisions…not make them for them. If Law didn't want his help…then Sanji should just stop pushing. He didn't like the thought, but if this was something he had to do, then…

Resettling in his chair, he fiddled with his cast, thinking about his supposed job at the restaurant. He was not looking forward to that, knowing that it was more pressure on his homework load; but if his family wanted to be rid of him for a few hours, maybe he should look at that positively. At least he could get away from them.

Sullenly, he headed to bed.

: :

Law realized Sanji was ignoring him.

At first, he was relieved because maybe he'd finally gotten into Sanji's head, and Sanji took the hint to leave him alone. But then he started acknowledging the unidentifiable feelings that hit him every time he opened his locker and saw nothing there to indicate that Sanji was acknowledging what Law had written back to him. Was he offended? Did his family pressure him again? Or did he start to believe that 'he didn't matter to anyone', and just gave up on Law?

Law wasn't surprised; it happened a lot. His parents would do the same thing once they got to know him. It embarrassed him that he spoke so freely to Sanji the other day, but that kid had a definite way of making him react unreasonably against himself.

At the same time, acknowledging what he'd given of himself to the teen made Law feel cross. Sanji was practically involved in every little thing that happened so far, and to cause all that trouble and walk away like it was nothing made Law feel angry. He wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for him. Acknowledging it as such felt alien. It sounded like he was angry because he'd come to rely on Sanji's constant pushing; _expected_ it, relied upon it. Despite all the shoves Law administered back, Sanji was still there, defying him, forcing him out of his security zones he would never again venture out of. Law had yet to define this as good or bad – all he knew was that he would've never come this far without him.

These feelings festered inside of him, as obnoxious as the boy's voice. Thursday night, as he made dinner for Rosinante, he stared down at the water bubbling in the pot, eggs bouncing about slightly. _These things shouldn't bother him_ , he told himself. He should be glad Sanji was leaving him alone; Sanji had even showed up to school in a new sweater, one that fit him properly. But Law had given up a lot of himself to that kid, and for Sanji to just disregard it or not think anymore of it just made it all feel like it had been a game for him.

He was confused. Maybe that was the better word for this situation. He was _confused_ because he wasn't sure how to feel in regards to suddenly being ignored after revealing everything that was bothersome to him, and with all the chaotic changes around him, he wasn't sure how to find his footing. So he was just looking for something easy to blame, and Sanji was an easy target.

"Law…"

He turned quickly at the sound of Rosinante's voice, horrified that he'd been lost in such deep thought. He immediately searched for any source of trouble the man might be in, or had missed anything he was supposed to do. Rosinante was looking at him with concern.

"The water is not going to boil faster with you glaring at it. Come sit."

After one last look at the pot, Law did as Rosinante asked, sitting next to him while his cigarette burned. Rosinante's hands were too shaky to hold it on his own, today, so it burned safely within the ashtray. He kept touching the various things atop of the table, moving around the salt and pepper shaker, knocking them over, attempting to right them only to knock them down again. His motor movement was difficult to control.

"What's on your mind?" Rosinante asked curiously. "School? Counseling?"

Law exhaled heavily, reaching out to right the shakers and set them out of his reach. "Just a number of things. What do you want with your eggs?"

"It'll be okay," Rosinante told him, nodding. "All of it. It'll be _okay_."

"You don't know that."

"I know that you're afraid, but…these things…it'll all work out. It was already bad, so it can't get any worse," Rosinante said quietly, reaching for the ashtray, but Law shifted it out of his reach, afraid that the man would burn himself again.

"It's been too long. I know they won't like me."

"Why wouldn't they, do you think?"

"Because I can't speak clearly. Because my grades aren't what they should be. And I helped kill that man – "

"You had nothing to do with that man, the judge already said, so. But those other things can be fixed. You know this." Rosinante studied him for a bit, before reaching out and swiping dropped pepper and salt from the table. "We're having problems with bugs, here. Law. Bug spray?"

Law reached out and brushed the scattered spices off the table himself. "There are no bugs, Rosinante. It's pepper. This is salt."

"You're sure?"

"Mm-hmm."

Rosinante nodded his head faintly, trusting Law with his hallucination. Law was a good boy. He was on top of these things. He asked, "Are your friends upset you'll leave them?"

Law shrugged. "They'll make new ones."

Rosinante furrowed his brow. "I'd be upset if I had to leave them all behind."

"This is only temporary."

"Don't make things temporary – "

"Everything in this world is temporary, Rosinante!"

"You might've had the unfortunate experience to think that, Law, but look at it this way; what an experience it was," Rosinante said, reaching out to pat his arm. "It must be tough relating to those around you when they haven't lived the same life as you."

Law shrugged. He was right; it was difficult relating to those around his age because he didn't think the way they did, nor did he participate in some of the things they did. He had no idea what current memes were available, what movies were popular, and what artists were being fawned over. Law took the time to examine Rosinante's fingers, making sure the man hadn't hurt himself in any way since he was at school. Sometimes, when Rosinante was injured, he couldn't quite express himself to tell these things.

"I don't care," he muttered in response.

"There is _always_ someone there that cares. This world is so rotten, unfair, frustrating, teeming with stupid things, and why can't I have this, or be able to do that, or even make a mark on things that others do? I forget things a lot, and I know I cause so much trouble to everyone around me, but…when I _do_ remember, I am grateful for the things I do have," Rosinante said quietly, looking at the scarred table in front of them. "And you have these things, too, Law. But your sister, your parents – there's more to them, right?"

Law shrugged. "I don't know."

"If change wasn't so frightening, then it'd be easier. But it's not. And that's okay to think that. It's okay to be scared. But it's _not_ okay to live your life continuing to think that things are temporary, because you should know by now that if they were, your heart wouldn't hurt so much." Rosinante slung an arm around his shoulders to pull him close, and Law let him, because Rosinante was lucid and aware, and these times were so rare, lately, and he realized that Rosinante was right. His eyes felt embarrassingly misty. "Little boy, I want you to know, right now, give it a chance. At least you tried, okay? It's time for someone to take care of you – "

When Law shook his head to reject that, to protest his age, Rosinante gripped his hair. Not a painful grip, but just to keep him focused on him.

"It's _never_ too late. We, as human beings, need it. _You_ need it, _you_ deserve it, you are a human being that deserves this chance to be loved, no matter what it was you've already been through. It'll be _okay_. So you go in there and give it a chance, and make your demands, and keep exploring and make memories, and give chances, and don't be afraid to give it your all, because you fucking deserve it! You understand me?"

"It's not that easy - !"

"It is…it is that easy…Because you've been doing it already, I can tell. Do you think I haven't noticed these things?" Rosinante smiled at him, ruffling his hair. "I'm so proud of you. You hold yourself differently, now, and I'm just so proud of you!"

"I haven't done anything like that."

"Oh? Then why are you so upset?"

Law shrugged a shoulder, wiping his nose. Expressing these difficult things with Rosinante would go no where – the man had problems with coherency and attention, and he felt that it would be too difficult for Rosinante to understand his feelings. So he said nothing; feeling alone with these problems, he had to sort them out within himself to understand them.

Rosinante touched the bridge of his nose with a fingertip. "What happened, here?"

"I bumped it," Law explained patiently. Some days Rosinante would remember, other days he wouldn't.

"Be careful, okay?"

"I know."

Rosinante reached up to fiddle with his ear, to brush through his own hair with trembling fingers. He furrowed his brow with concentration, eyes focused on the kitchen sink. Law looked at him, then grabbed a napkin from the dispenser from the center of the table, to wipe his mouth. Rosinante jerked his head away, grabbed the napkin to do it himself, wiping at dry skin with a frustrated expression.

"He's a stubborn one, isn't he? Sanji?"

"I don't know," Law grumbled, picking at a scar in the table. Rosinante looked at him, crumbling the napkin within one hand. He then touched the furrow in Law's brow, and Law jerked his head away.

"Are you two fighting again?"

"I don't want to talk about him."

"Look at this frown. So deep and angry. Not something one would wear if they didn't care," Rosinante said with amusement. Law pushed away from the table and marched to the stove, checking on the eggs. Rosinante watched him use a fork to prod at the shells, observing the stiffened shoulders and sullen frown.

He returned his attention to the table with a slight smile, relieved to have said what he had. His moments of clarity were far and few in between, but he was glad he was able to speak of his feelings to Law. He felt the boy deserved to hear them, and he feared not having the chance to say them, afraid to forget. He hoped he helped.

: :

Friday morning, when Niji and Yonji were at Mr Hansen's desk, arguing about their grade in free study, Law turned in his seat to glare at the boy behind him. Sanji had his head down and was writing furiously, if not clumsily, in his notebook to the theme of an essay topic he had for another class.

Law reached out to snatch the notebook right out from underneath his pen and tossed it to the floor, Sanji looking up with absolute bewilderment. "You're not going to say anything?"

" _Oh my god_ , don't talk to me," Sanji muttered, going for his notebook. He sat down with a huff.

"That's all?"

" _Fuck off_. That's what you wanted me to do, right? So you do the same."

Law gave him a dubious stare.

"What is your problem? Leave me alone, I'm leaving you alone."

"You can't even write me back?"

"My opinions don't matter to you, right?"

"After you fucked up my life, you're retreating into a corner to hide. Typical," Law muttered bitterly, resettling in his seat after his face started to turn red.

Sanji jabbed him with his pen. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Typical of _whom_?"

When Law didn't answer, Sanji straightened out his notebook. Muttering to himself, he continued writing while Law crossed his arms tightly over his chest and glared towards the far corner of the front of the classroom, ears ringing. Niji looked back at them, wearing a little smirk, but it didn't appear as if he'd seen anything. He kicked Yonji in the shin to complain, Mr Hansen looking as if he regretted his job choice.

"I didn't even read your stupid note," Law then heard Sanji mutter. He twisted in his seat again.

"So, you're fucking butthurt over something I said?"

"What are you so mad about? You spent all this time cussing me out about becoming involved, _now_ you're mad because I'm giving you want you want?"

Because he had a point, Law turned back in his chair and continued to glare.

"Besides, it doesn't matter if you're leaving anyway," Sanji continued to mutter.

"So what I had to say was meaningless to you," Law stated, fingers tightening.

" _What are you talking about_?"

"If you haven't read it, then forget it!"

Niji looked over once again, both of them focused on their desk or task. The blue haired teen made a cursory examination of their postures, then looked at the kids sitting near them to determine whether or not they were interested in something to the left of them. But seeing as they were too occupied with what they were doing, he returned his attention to Mr Hansen.

Unable to drop it, Law mumbled, "Forget I said anything. Just keep doing you. That's what you're good at, anyway."

" _Stop_ with all your bitter comments!"

"You guys should really take this outside," Penguin muttered, glancing at them uncomfortably.

"Stay out of it!" Sanji barked at him.

"Don't yell at him because you're a fucking dick that wants attention," Law snapped back at him.

Sanji looked ready to stab him with his pen when Niji called out, "What's going on over there? Quiet down, mouse!"

"They have you on a short leash, don't they?" Law then asked Sanji, resettling in his seat and glaring at Niji defiantly. " _Woof_."

" _Whatever_ you just said, English, speak up! You're obviously talking shit to me, so _speak up_!" Niji demanded, pointing at him. At this, Mr Hansen stood up in his chair to look over the boys standing in front of him, to see what Niji was shouting about.

"What is going on back there?" he demanded, walking out from behind his desk.

Law stood up, then walked out from the classroom, much to Mr Hansen's dismay. After several moments, Sanji abandoned his things and hurried out after him. Niji and Yonji looked dumbstruck for a few moments while Mr Hansen recovered and reached for the inter-room phone on his desk, wearing a perplexed expression.

Out in the hallway, Sanji rushed after Law, who was taking quick strides towards the front of the building. With a burst of speed, he leapt onto him, Law tripping in mid-step and slamming up against a row of lockers at he caught himself, stumbling under Sanji's weight.

Both of them fell to the floor, Law reaching out and shoving Sanji away as Sanji made to right himself. Both of them then pushed each other, struggling to climb to their feet. Law grabbed hold of his cast and pushed into the floor just to keep it from hitting him, and Sanji rolled over awkwardly and snatched onto the collar of his shirt, using strength to keep him down on the floor.

"What is your fucking problem?" Sanji snarled at him, then half crawling onto his back, wrapping his legs around his in an effort to hold him down, but with his arm being held to the floor, he couldn't do more than that. "Talking shit, wanting to get hit - !"

Law reached out and curled an arm around his neck, and used his shoulders and upper body weight to keep him pinned to the floor, so they were in the middle of the hall, breathing hard and angry.

"You stink! Let go!"

"It's not fair of you to cause all this trouble, then walk away like it was nothing!" Law snapped at him, struggling to get his legs loose. "You came in and screwed everything up - !"

"I _improved_ your miserable life, you fucking asshole!"

" – then ignore me, because, _what_? There's nothing more for you to mess up?"

"I didn't mess anything up - !"

Sanji struggled to get his head out of Law's grip, the taller boy finally rolling to the side, out of his legs' grasp, still applying pressure over Sanji's chest. Sanji twisted towards him, getting his knees up and pushing out, catching Law in the stomach. They rolled into the lockers opposite of them, still pulling or shoving to get distance from each other.

Once both of them were on their feet, aiming to attack again when they heard footfalls coming their way. They quickly retreated away from each other, smoothing out clothing, and then faced that direction. Sanji hurried to the forefront, brushing his hair back into place. Once the vice principal and a security guard revealed themselves, he said quickly, "I'm not feeling well. He's walking me to the school nurse."

"You look very disheveled," the security guard noted with skepticism, looking at them both.

Sanji made to vomit theatrically, both of the adults scurrying back to avoid being unleashed upon. After a few moments, Law caught onto what was happening, and quickly grabbed Sanji's arm, jerking him towards the front office. The pair of adults followed with uncertainty, the security guard radioing that the hallway was clear, they were en route to the school nurse.

"I'll get you later for this, you miserable fuck," Sanji hissed at Law, uncovering his mouth to do so.

Law ignored the threat, dragging him into the front office without any regards to his footing, office personnel looking at them with startled faces, student workers interested in the scene. Once at the ward, the nurse looked at them, wide-eyed, before indicating that Sanji sit on the single cot there, finding a plastic yellow bucket at the sight of his motions for one.

The bell rang at that moment, the nurse looking at Law with a nod. "You can go. Thank you."

"He can stay until break's almost over," Sanji stressed, glaring at the older kid.

"Okay, well…let me go find your file. Go ahead, have a seat," the nurse then said to Law, indicating the stool nearby. Once she turned her back, Sanji flung the paper covered pillow at him, catching him in the face. Law threw it back at him.

Even if he had the opportunity to leave, Law just stood there, fists bunched tightly. He continued to glare at the boy, a whirlwind of anger and frustration. Sanji glared back at him, forcing himself to take on the look of a 'sick' student in the event that Ichiji or office staff came in to check on him.

Finally, Law uttered quietly, "If it wasn't for you, I would've been on the streets, avoiding every fucking unmarked car driving up to the camps! Now, I'm being taken out of a home I felt comfortable being, and _you don't have anything to say_?"

Sanji stared at him with bewilderment. "You never listen to what I have to say, so I didn't say anything!"

Emitting a low expletive, Law looked to walk out when he stopped, hearing the sounds of the office personnel answering phones, fielding walk-in students, parents with a question.

"So…you didn't read it, then," he stated, not asking it as a question.

"No. I don't want to," Sanji said stubbornly, holding his casted arm to his chest as it throbbed painfully. He wanted to rub the ache away, but he had to settle for holding onto his elbow, instead. "I know exactly what it's going to say. 'Fuck off'. 'I don't care'. The same, _usual_ exact things you've said this entire fucking time!"

Law glared at the open doorway. It occurred to him that Sanji was right – Law _did_ throw those things at him nearly every time something came up.

"Well? _Right_?" Sanji snapped, looking at him.

"…No."

Sanji shut his mouth, thrown off his attack. He shifted on the cot uneasily. "You…you wrote me back?"

Whatever Law was going to say in response was interrupted when Penguin appeared, holding onto their abandoned things with a sheepish cringe of his shoulders. Law took his notebook, then Sanji's bag from him when Penguin held them out. He turned, kicked Sanji's bag into the corner and strode away without saying anything. Sanji's face reddened with reaction to yell after him, but not even a moment after Law left, Ichiji walked in with an annoyed expression. Penguin quickly left without saying anything.

" _Now_ what's your problem?" Ichiji complained. "What is all this fuss?"

"I'm sick!"

"You weren't this morning."

Sanji rested back in the cot with a dramatic sigh. "It happened all of a sudden. Just one look at your face made it worse. I might be dying right as I speak. Please…brother…erase my search history…"

Ichiji rolled his eyes, allowing the nurse to re-enter, holding onto Sanji's student file. "I hope it's food poisoning from your new job. Dumb ass."

He walked out, the nurse looking after him with surprise, but looking back at Sanji with a strained smile, attempting to recover.

: :

In the stairway outside the east end of the school, which lead up to the gym's auditorium room, both of them met near the end of their last class, having agreed to do so that they could sort it before the weekend.

Law sat hunched, his fingers wrapped around his shins. Sullenly, he said, "So, you gave up on me."

Sanji snapped at his gum. "With no returning gestures, what did you expect?"

"If you don't have the stamina to be there for someone who doesn't believe in it, then giving up isn't an option," Law said stubbornly.

Sanji frowned heavily at him. With the way Law was avoiding looking at him directly, it gave Sanji the idea that this could be forgiven. Law wasn't holding himself in a combative stance; he was here, he was talking, he was angry and hurt about something Sanji _did not_ do. So that told Sanji Law relied on him. That was good enough for Sanji.

" _Excuse me_ for never being in this situation, before! What did you write?"

"…'Thank you.'"

"That was _it_?" Sanji exclaimed, nearly losing his gum. "You nearly got us into trouble all because you said 'thank you'? Saying it to my face would have been easier!"

Law shrugged, fiddling with the shredded hems of his slacks, pulling at the loose thread there. "It made me mad after I…said all these things that only you know about, and you just started ignoring me."

"It made _me_ mad that you made me feel like everything I said wasn't valuable."

Law acknowledged that with a low sigh. "Then, we're both wrong."

Sanji grunted. He rested his elbows on his knees, both hands up against his forehead to hide his face. "Not like it matters, right? In the end, you're still leaving."

Law shrugged in response.

"It would be much harder living in the streets than it would in a home where you can have control!" Sanji exclaimed, straightening up. "At least you get meals, a bed, clothes - !"

"Yeah, living with two people that disregarded me in the first place, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Law snapped peevishly.

"How bad was it if they spent all this time trying to get you back?" Sanji muttered, pulling his knees atop of the step below him before linking his fingers together over his ankles. "All I say is that you make some demands to satisfy yourself in the process. At least you have a chance to start over, considering that negotiations are open due to the nature of your situation."

"There are no 'negotiations'," Law muttered.

Sanji fiddled with his chin, looking at the wall ahead of him with thought. Resting his elbows atop of his knees, he blew bubbles with his gum while some birds flitted from one spot to another from the trees below. "Well, you should really consider making some. That's the only way anyone can win out of this situation."

Law looked at him, hands clutching the edge of the stair he sat on. "Things are temporary."

"Only because you're scared, and you make it feel that way."

Law stared at him, thinking Sanji repeated quite closely what Rosinante was saying, last night. He pushed his heels out to the next step's edge, crunching on bits of gravel there. "I don't know what to say to them."

Sanji wondered to himself if Law had always looked at him for a few seconds too long, or if he were imagining things. Should he overthink that? He mumbled, "It'll work itself out when you're ready to. It'll be okay, because, by then, you'll know what to say."

Law gave Sanji an impatient frown, leaning back on his palms. "…Right…"

Sanji picked at his shoe laces. He looked at Law for what felt like longer than necessary, but he was really working up the nerve to say, "We're still friends until then, right?"

Law exhaled heavily, looking down at his shoes again. He could feel Sanji waiting for his answer, still looking at him. Addressing his shoes, he muttered, "Until your dad sends you to some religious gay camp."

"It'll probably be soon, considering – look, there's nothing more he can do to me. He took away my phone, my driving privileges, my freedom, made it 'okay' for my brothers to break my arm, made me feel stupid - _and_ he even forced me into a job, which sucks, but at least that old man, he's okay, he'll let me play with the dishes, so…"

"You have a job?"

"Every time my brothers get dropped off to practice, I have to go to this restaurant- you should suggest it to Doflamingo the next time you guys eat out, I'll make sure you get a discount," Sanji then suggested, brightening up at the thought. "Their food really isn't all that bad, and that way, we can hang out without having to sneak around to do so."

Law shrugged again, unable to picture this kid actually at a job where he had to interact with customers. He probably made outrageous demands of them while serving them.

"I work in the kitchen, but sometimes I clear away dishes and shit and stuff – I don't even get paid! I'm being babysat by an old man with – he's got two mustaches, like, braided down to _here_ and he's such a cool ass dude, like, he just talks any old way to anybody and he don't care who it is, they're going to hear what he has to say," Sanji added with a snicker, knees up close to he could curl his fingers over them. He straightened quickly. "But don't tell him I said that, I don't want him thinking that I think he's cool, or anything."

Law gave him a look that clearly asked why he would even talk to such a person in the first place. "If you don't get paid, that's stupid to keep doing that."

"I…honestly don't care? Because at least I get away from those assholes at home, you know," Sanji said with a snort, laying his casted arm over his lap and leaning over it.

Law used that moment to lean in, catching his attention. Before Sanji could say anything, he kissed him quickly. The boy just sat there, stunned, his eyes wide as dinner plates. His gum fell out of his mouth as his jaw lowered. He felt blindsided by a sucker punch, all connecting lines to today's events dropping completely out of grasp. He didn't know what to sputter, or think.

Law looked down at the gum that had fallen from Sanji's mouth, then at him, nervously taking in the expression on his face.

"What…what was that for?" Sanji asked.

Law shrugged, picking at his shoes.

"You're not…making fun of me, are you?" Sanji then asked low, feeling his eyebrows come together.

"No…isn't that what guys like you expect?"

Sanji's face and neck turned bright red. He stood straight up, ready to unleash everything he had at that moment onto Law.

"It's okay with me, as long as it's not demanded, or attempted to be paid, for," Law then added.

Sanji was reminded of his earlier thought of these things with Law, and his quick temper was equally as fast to leave him. He sat down slowly, fiddling with his fingers. "I don't want it if you're not _like me_ , or if you feel obligated to," he mumbled bitterly.

Law managed to look at him, frowning ever so slightly. Did he misread the kid? Ashamed of his effort, he muttered, "What, your hormones don't work?"

"Call me crazy, but I want these things from someone that actually wants to do it _with_ me," Sanji retorted, picking at his shoes. "If you're doing it just because you think I _expect_ it, then I don't want it."

Law snorted. "Good luck finding that."

Sanji glared at him. Then he glared at the stairs leading away from them.

Law looked at him. "Are you mad at me?"

" _Yes_!"

Law scowled, looking away from him as he fiddled with loose pebbles at hand. "Might as well as get it when you can. With the way you're going, it's either going to be with someone who's only in it for your family money, or because you force it, or buy it. No one's going to willingly give it to you because you're you."

Sanji stared at him incredulously. Those words _hurt_ him, a physical pang reverberating in his chest and leaving a hot stinging in his eyes. Law looked at him when Sanji was quiet for too long, and noticed his hurt expression. Sanji then stood up and left Law sitting there, the older teen looking after him with a hard frown. He drew his knees up and lowered his head into his folded arms. Law did feel bad for what he said, and he had only said those things because he was ashamed of himself for kissing Sanji for the reasons he'd stated. The bell rang, but he ignored it. As the sound of kids' voices filled the air as they were released, he waited for the halls to at least clear out a bit.

 _Fuck, I'm so stupid_ , he thought bitterly.

* * *

 **a/n: I** had what I had left cut and edited into this! They aren't abandoned, just put aside for now.

 **RR:** it'll definitely show up on Tumblr! I usually just post and run D: The boys' get even more complicated in this chapter – hot and cold, just like Nevada weather.

 **Guest** : Wish granted!

Thanks to all that drop in and read – I know you're out there ;) don't be shy


	20. Chapter 20

**20**

* * *

Doflamingo finished the last of his beer, looking across the table to Law. Rosinante was staring sightlessly at the row of boxes off to their left, stubbornly holding his jaw as a cigarette burned in front of him. Law was wiping off onions from a McDonald's cheeseburger to give to Rosinante, a baked potato awaiting the blond's attention nearby. Doflamingo had been pretty quiet, lately, wearing a cross expression whenever he came home, so Law was just waiting for him to unleash whatever mood he was carrying with him. He set the cheeseburger down next to the baked potato, scooping up some content to attempt to feed Rosinante, but the man turned his head to the side.

"Rosi…are you not hungry?" Doflamingo chided his younger brother. When he didn't answer, Doflamingo looked to Law. "You're going to miss this, I bet."

Law looked at him to determine what sort of comment that was, and he couldn't tell. So he shrugged.

"What do mommy and daddy have planned for you?"

"I don't know."

"Do you even talk to them?" Doflamingo asked, getting up to rummage for another beer. Their refrigerator was stocked from a recent paycheck, so the sight of it caused him pause for admiration.

"No."

"Smoker thinks this is fine?"

"I guess."

"It won't last," Doflamingo decided, returning to the table. "You'll get up and go once you realize that it's not the same."

Law picked at his fries, but didn't eat them. He was starving, but his tension was so high that it felt difficult to follow through. He swiped it through ketchup, then decorated the others with that single stripe.

"Family is important, Law," Doflamingo added. "You'll do well to at least try."

Law studied him, feeling his jaw tense. "That's weird, coming from you."

"I do what I can for mine."

"After all this time? I didn't want to go back."

"I'm not worried you'll stay there. You'll be back. You won't be able to leave Rosi on his own, or rely on someone else to take over where you left off. Your room will remain."

There was a small feeling of relief in Law that he felt hearing that, but he remained guarded. Doflamingo had already made up his mind, and having this backup plan felt 'okay'. He cleared his throat. "I would like to find a job."

"I can find one through my friends. Weekends are fine. Off the record, though."

That sounded fishy, and Law wasn't sure about that. But if it meant he had a place to stay, and he didn't have to leave Rosinante, he would have to just bear it. He nodded. He fiddled with the same fry, looking from the corner of his eye to see Rosinante looking down at his meal.

"Rosi, Law is leaving us," Doflamingo told him, opening up his beer. "His parents decided they wanted him back."

"Who said?" Rosinante asked crankily. "Finders, keepers."

"That's what I'd been saying this entire time. But this state, it has stupid rules, and this is only for show. Law already knows what he wants, and he said he'd be back."

"What about your school?" Rosinante asked Law with concern. "Will you take your homework with you?"

"I'll have it," Law muttered in response, looking at Doflamingo suspiciously.

"Even if they promise you things, Law, think about this; they promised you and your sister the moon and stars at one time, but what happened to those things? They decided to take it back when the moment wasn't fitting for them," Doflamingo said. "This isn't what we'd paid for, they said. We'd wanted something else, something that wasn't supposed to break. It didn't go as plan, therefore, it's ineffective. Ineffective things are useless things, easy to give away – another's trash is another's treasure. Keep that in mind when they start talking about the house they have, the school they picked out for you, the dinner conversations they'd planned to have with you after everyone is settled at the dinner table. How many times will you have to repeat yourself, and how many times will they ask you to speak up? Oh, and don't forget, they'll want you to look the part, too. If you fail these expectations of theirs, there's your room, here."

Because Doflamingo was repeating aloud every one of his securities, Law said nothing. Rosinante looked at him.

"It's not your fault," he whispered, as if they were the only two in the room.

"I already know what will happen," Law muttered.

"I'm glad you're not expecting anything differently," Doflamingo said, plucking out a couple of Big Macs from the bag. "I'd hate for you to feel that sort of pain after all this time. But you're a smart kid, you know where you stand with people. Most of your generation doesn't. Very misguided with unrealistic ideas. Sickeningly hopeful for things they don't even attempt to earn, or think they're deserving of it without putting any work into it."

"What are they like, by the way?" Doflamingo then asked, taking two large bites of one hamburger.

Law thought about his parents' after both meetings. "Hopeful. Apologetic."

"Don't fall for their act. If they truly loved you, you would've never been here in the first place."

"I understand that."

"Parents," Doflamingo muttered, with a tone of disgust. "They think they know what's best for their children, and have unrealistic expectations, themselves. The decisions they make can alter a human being without really trying."

"Ours were hopeful – " Rosinante cut in before Doflamingo interrupted with, "Ours were idiots from the start! That's what I'm talking about! They thought they knew better, but their decisions ended up with both of us in the gutter! Our lives ended up in my hands, and look where we are, now! If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Don't yell at him," Law cut in. "Let him talk."

"I just don't like how he remembers certain things," Doflamingo growled, finishing off his hamburger. "He tends to romanticize them unfairly. His imagination is too great."

"Let him. It's all he has."

"In that sense, is that how you see things?"

"No – "

"Then don't talk about things you don't know personally of."

Law quieted, but he reached underneath the table to pat Rosinante's leg with some comforting action, seeing how upset the man looked. He studied him, then frowned at Doflamingo.

Doflamingo drank the rest of his beer. "Don't look at me that way. You don't know the shit we've been through just to wind up here. I can't afford to coddle my brother's rose colored memories when I remember everything."

"That's cruel."

"What's _cwual_ is pretending to forget!" Doflamingo snapped at him, slamming the empty bottle down onto the table and causing both of them to jump. "I can't forget!"

"It's not his fault – "

"Yeah, real convenient of him to forget, thanks to some extras embedded into his proteins."

" _It's not his fault_ \- !"

"You know whose fault it is? It's _his_! Our father's fault! If it wasn't for his fucked up side of the family, Rosi wouldn't be in this state! He would be fine! But it's all _his_ for having such a weak seed, and it's our mother's fault for coddling it! If they were true, loving parents, they would've gotten rid of him so he wouldn't have to suffer this cruel misery," Doflamingo muttered, rising up from his chair, taking his other burger with him.

Law frowned after him, then noticed the frustrated tears building up in Rosinante's eyes. Without thinking, Law stood up, grabbed the empty beer bottle and threw it at the back of Doflamingo's head. The sound of it hitting him was immeasurably loud, and he stumbled on his way to the living room.

Slowly, Doflamingo turned to look back at him. "Are you serious?"

"It's not his fault," Law repeated firmly. "Don't talk of him like that."

Doflamingo returned to the table, setting down his hamburger, vein pulsing at his temple. Rosinante understood that the tension was rising considerably, and he reached out and grabbed Law's arm, pulling at him.

"Attacking me from behind isn't a fair fight. You want to face your opponent straight on if you're not going to follow up with a finishing blow," Doflamingo stated.

Law reached for his drink to throw at him, Rosinante leaning far over to grab him, stopping him from doing so.

"Both of you, _stop_!" he ordered, rising up from his chair to do so. "Are you so frustrated that you would attack a child, Doffy?"

"In a couple more weeks, he won't be," Doflamingo muttered. After a few moments, he grabbed his hamburger and left once more.

At the slam of his bedroom door, Rosinante sat back down, knocking over his drink. He stared down at his food with a heavy expression, and Law moved to clean up, adrenaline making his movements shaky. But he threw away the empty beer bottles, retrieving the one he'd hit Doflamingo with. He sat back down and straightened up Rosinante's food, but the man just slapped it all off the table, scattering pieces of cheeseburger every which way.

Straightening up in his chair, Law listened to his stomach growl, but he'd lost his appetite. Rosinante looked at him.

"Remember that," he told him sternly.

"I don't care," Law said in response.

"I wish you would," Rosinante said softly.

: :

Saturday afternoon, Smoker set the bag Lorenzo had given to Law atop of his desk. Law frowned at it from the chair opposite him.

"Still a no?" Smoker asked, looking inside. "It's not dangerous. Will today be any different?"

Law folded his arms over his chest.

"They're going to start thinking you're not interested," Smoker said sarcastically. "C'mon, kid, it won't hurt. Even if it's just to cuss them out. Or can you only do that to small blond punks with a verbal vomit problem?"

Law scowled at the wall.

Smoker took a seat in his desk chair, leaning backward to fold his arms behind his head. "I was thinking – if it would help, maybe invite your friend one of these meetings?"

"Hell no."

"It might make things easier for you."

"No, it wouldn't."

"Just a suggestion. They're willing to pack up and move to this location if you'd give them a chance."

"I don't care."

"Let's learn a different expression – try something more like, 'Sure, that sounds great.'"

"I don't know any foreign languages."

Smoker lifted an eyebrow. "You're smart mouthed, today. You were crankier than usual this morning, is something up?"

Law shrugged a shoulder, reaching out to pluck at his worn jeans. He was wearing a thin black t-shirt with a bear paw print on the pocket, and his jeans had a slight hole in the left knee. So he picked at the thread coming unraveled there. "I don't want to do this. I'm tired."

At the sound of his stomach growling noisily, much to Law's embarrassment, Smoker perked up. "And hungry, from the sounds of it! You didn't eat?"

Before Law could answer, Smoker said quickly, "Look, let's do something a little different. If this building makes you uncomfortable, let's consider a meeting outside of here. A restaurant. Any suggestions? I'm sure they'd be up to it, too."

"No."

"They're trying really hard, Law, they're not going to give up as easily as you think they would – "

"It's only for a couple more weeks."

"That's how long you're going to make this last? A couple more weeks? I'm sure they're aware of their time limit. But we're equally as stubborn." Smoker left his chair. He walked up to the calendar with the weekly specials on it, scanning all of them. "Any idea on a good place to eat? Tashigi always writes in her suggestions, here, pick one. Or they can. Cracker Barrel, Mcdonald's, Olive Garden, Chik-fil-A, Taco Bell, Baratie's – "

Law remained stubbornly silent. After much consideration, Smoker tapped on a day with a restaurant and a special that Tashigi had thought he'd be interested in. "We'll go here. It sounds casual. Let me go notify those stubborn jerks who want a part of your life, and we'll drive out that way, meet them there."

Half hour later, Smoker was leading the way as they followed the host to a table that had been reserved for them. Law was so angry that he wore it on his face, but the smells of the place made his stomach growl louder. The table they were led to was set near the window, and he glared out of it as soon as they were seated. He crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing as Smoker looked at the menu, pointing out various dishes that he thought Law might like.

A few minutes later, their server ambled up to their table, looking large in a stark white chef coat and a blue bandanna at his thick neck, graying blond hair tucked into a twill white chef hat. Since most of their servers wore this uniform, it was hard to tell if he were actually a server or a cook. Law found himself doing a double take, noticing the braided mustache. Despite his bad mood, he felt a tiny surge of hope, looking around the place once more.

The man looked at them with disdain, lip curled. "Why does my place draw in brats with attitude problems?"

"What would you recommend for one that thinks bread will make him fat?" Smoker asked, choosing a soft drink when he really wanted some liquor.

"I don't know what his kind likes. I got a kid that might have a few suggestions. He's new. I'm not firing him for anything he says or does, so don't even complain when he fucks up your order," the man said, walking off with a strong stride despite his single leg.

Smoker set the menu down and looked at Law. "Look, at least show these guys some attention. Grunt for yes, growl for no. Give them _something_. It doesn't have to be whole paragraphs, but those vocal cords sound okay, to me. And, if you want to see my track awards, I'll personally show them to you if you get the notion to try and take a walk on your own – "

Impatiently, Law snapped, "I don't need to say anything to them! I'm just going to fucking eat!"

"As long as you eat," Smoker grunted.

"Like my day didn't suck enough," Sanji complained, dragging his feet towards them, carrying a tray with ice filled cups and water, Smoker looking at him with surprise. He was wearing a white short sleeve shirt with a half apron, black slacks over Converses, with a nametag across the left breast that read, "Shitty Eggplant" in pretty cursive writing and flowery stickers. Smoker wondered if that was a joke. Sanji caught sight of him looking at it as he set the tray down, and he patted it with one hand. "My boss thinks it's funny. Plus, nobody can complain about me if they don't know my name, or can't say it with a straight face."

Law watched Sanji for any signs of yesterday, but the boy did not look at Law any differently. Law still felt horrible about what he did, but he felt hope in that Sanji wouldn't walk away. Not after what he'd told him.

 _Please_ …he thought, unable to finish it.

"I'm not sure what to say about that," Smoker said to Sanji, sitting up straight in his chair as Sanji poured water into their cups and passed them out. "This is good! Real good."

"Not really," Sanji muttered, pulling out his order pad from his apron and throwing it on the table. "What do you want?"

" _Great_ service."

"I'm not supposed to be doing this, but because someone's face looks like he couldn't shit for awhile, Zeff made me," Sanji complained. He noticed the extra settings at the table. He poured more water and set them out. "You expecting more people?"

"Yep."

" _Fabulous_. To start, the soup doesn't taste like socks, today. They actually added more ingredients to the cans they got at Walmart to individualize it. Want it?"

"No. What's the best menu item for kids your age?"

"I don't know, I don't eat that stuff. Law, you eat meat, or do you just stick to day old nachos?" Sanji asked crankily. Law glared at him, arms tightening over his chest. "Oh, we're in one of those moods, aren't we? Don't worry, Zeff won't let me spit in anybody's food without making me eat it, first."

"That is…comforting," Smoker muttered.

"Chicken it is," Sanji mumbled, getting nothing from Law. He looked at Smoker. "What do you want?"

"I'll wait until the rest of our party gets here. But let's start off with an appetizer."

"These things that look like uncircumcised dicks are actually good. It has bacon in it. I'll bring it out. I didn't think the state had extra money to feed their employees out in such style."

Smoker gave him a withering look. Sanji wandered off with his tray and pitcher of water to do that, Smoker frowning at Law. "Don't let this be a bad idea."

" _You_ wanted to do this, I didn't," Law reminded him on a mumble. He was starting to tense up again, finding it difficult to relax, knowing his parents were on their way here. He caught himself pressing his tongue against his teeth, and struggled to relax his jaw.

"Here they are," Smoker said, waving once Lorenzo and Lainy appeared around the corner, being shown the way by the host. Law glared off at the window once more, swallowing tightly as he felt pressure building up in his mouth, again. It wasn't as bad as it was the first time, but it was noticeable, and he struggled with the option of drinking the ice water set in front of him, or ignoring it to not give effort to the meeting.

"Sorry we're late," Lorenzo said, pulling out a chair for Lainy, and siting after she did. He looked at his son with a cheerful smile. "Hi, Law!"

"Hi, son," Lainy said, pulling up closer to the table and looking around. "This must be a new place."

"Be prepared, our server's new. And, incidentally, he's a friend of Law's from school," Smoker said.

"He's not my friend," Law said crankily.

"They're friends," Smoker assured the parents, who started to wear fretful expressions upon hearing Law deny this. From their expressions, Smoker figured that they were struggling to understand whether Law was cranky with the new setting, or if his denial was causing him any stress. "In fact, we were just talking earlier, and if it's possible, Law was wondering if you guys were interested in moving closer into the district so that he could retain his friendships and stay in the school he'd established himself in."

"We are completely prepared to move anywhere he's requested," Lorenzo said quickly, looking at Law with an eager expression. "It's not a problem."

In frustration, Law said nothing, lips set tight as he found himself wanting to deny Smoker's request, but also not wanting to speak any further than he had. Stress made his limbs lock up, jaw tensed. His mouth felt dry, and he kept looking at the cup of water, but every part of him was so damn rigid that the effort seemed troublesome.

Sanji returned to the table, setting down a plateful of bacon-wrapped cornbread with melted cheese visible from within. Smoker had to admit that they looked exactly as Sanji had described. The teen swiped up his order pad once he noticed the seated couple. He didn't make the connection right away, more focused on Law than his task.

"What you guys want to drink? Don't order the soft drinks, because those guys don't know how to refill the machine, so it'll taste like flavored carbonation foam when you get it," he said, Lorenzo and Lainy looking puzzled at his manner of presentation; clearly, they were not comfortable with this type of near rude service. "Get the lemonade or iced tea, instead. In fact, I'll get the peach for you, and the blackberry lemonade for you. Yeah, that sounds right. You guys figure out what you want to eat, yet?"

Law snorted because he'd been right with his assessment. Sanji looked at him suspiciously as the pair picked up the menus with stressful expressions in not having a choice.

" _What_?"

"Is this your first job?" Smoker asked Sanji, wearing a critical expression.

"No, I worked for fourteen years as a slave at home. This is my first outside job, though."

"You should work on your people skills."

"I have none. I'm a Vinsmoke."

Law bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at Smoker, who scowled at Sanji.

"Law, I put in the baked chicken and veggie with rice order for you," Sanji said, seeing that Lorenzo and Lainy were still deciding. He leaned onto the table with his left hand, other on his hip. "Extra mushrooms on the side – I picked them myself on the way to work because daddy wouldn't let me use the Rolls-Royce."

"Har, har," Smoker muttered.

"They're rumored to be magic mushrooms. The ones Mario eats, so you can grow big and tall. And _you_ , you should have the fish," Sanji told Smoker. "It doesn't taste like shit, but it'll remind you of your last bad decision."

Law covered his mouth to hide the twitch there as Smoker frowned at Sanji. Sanji shrugged. "The old man refuses to fire me. Complain all you want."

Lorenzo and Lainy gave Sanji their orders, and Sanji wrote it down, concentrating on the task. He gave up with a, "Fuck it, I'll remember it."

With a huge sigh, he wandered off, Lainy looking at Smoker with a puzzled expression, Lorenzo wondering if he should be concerned. Law tried not to show his amusement; how was it that Sanji made these things so much easier? He hated himself for what he did, yesterday.

"He is…very familiar with you," she stated uncomfortably. "Or…are they all like that, here?"

"You are aware of who Judge Vinsmoke is, right? That's one of his kids. The youngest, I think."

Law didn't correct him while Lorenzo looked thoughtful. He shifted his glasses as he said, "I wasn't aware he had four kids. I'm familiar with three of them within the department. Sports injuries."

"He's active vocally. Which is good for Law, because he refuses to let Law get away with grunts and shrugs," Smoker said, looking at the teen. "Right?"

"He's so…crass," Lainy said with concern. She looked to Law. "You two get along well?"

Law just nodded, fiddling with the tablecloth. His tongue had stopped pressing against his teeth, feeling looser after that exchange with Sanji. It was almost as if most of him had unlocked ever so slightly, allowing him freer movement. But he kept his teeth pressed together just to alleviate the sensation of pressure he felt in his ability to talk loosely.

"Maybe too well. Law probably just lets him walk all over him," Smoker commented.

"No, I don't," Law denied low with discomfort.

"I'm…sure you two get along very well," Lainy said with indecisive action. She could not read her son at all; she knew Law was uncomfortable, but she'd seen the way he'd reacted to Sanji. It just confounded her that he would be that way with a kid who clearly lacked proper manners. She wasn't going to let it bother her for very long, though.

She cleared her throat and looked at her son hopefully. "How was your week, Law?"

He shrugged in response, slouching in his chair a little. When he didn't offer anything more than that, Lainy curled her lips inward, her expression falling. Smoker said, "His grades have improved. He's really a smart kid. Which is why I feel that keeping him at his current school would be a good thing, for him. Usually, he tends to put in a half ass effort. I'm not going to make this easy for you to hear, but he doesn't apply himself to his education – he tends to make his own hours, which causes stress on his attendance grading. But this one was more convenient for him, and it gives him the security needed to feel more comfortable."

"We can do it," Lorenzo said hurriedly, pulling the cloth napkin to his lap to wring underneath the table. "We can move, Law. If it would help."

"Peach tea for you, and blackberry lemonade for you, and a shitty Dr Pepper for you, to assist with old people problems," Sanji interrupted, placing the full mugs in front of each person. Despite only being able to use one arm, he maneuvered the tray easily onto the table and unloaded them one at a time. Lorenzo looked at the cast with apprehension.

"I'm not old!" Smoker insisted.

"There are a rumored twenty three prunes in each cup of Dr Pepper. I assure you, you'll be fine."

Smoker glared at him as Sanji distributed the straws he had in his apron. Sanji said to Law, "Want me to pick your drink, too?"

Law thought about it for a moment before muttering, "Tea."

"Hot or cold?"

"Black."

"You guys didn't try these things, yet," Sanji then said, pointing at the platter. "Despite its appearance, it's really good. Or, are you guys straight - ?"

"Tea, _please_ ," Law insisted, kicking him in the shin with the tip of his shoe, and causing him to cringe, catching himself. He waddled off, Zeff yelling at him to straighten up and look like a man, and not an invalid, prompting Sanji to yell back at him for calling the kettle 'black'. Lainy looked troubled.

Law tried not to show any expression, but, for one, he thought it was funny that Sanji fit right in with the restaurant's ambiance, and, another, he was so utterly relieved that Sanji wasn't treating him any differently after yesterday. Smoker frowned over at him.

Lorenzo cleared his throat. He looked across the table at Law. "Is this something you'd like us to do? Move to another location so that you may be closer to this school?"

Law shrugged.

"C'mon, kid, we talked about this," Smoker said impatiently, frowning at his drink.

Law swallowed tightly. He didn't think too much of the idea after last night's confrontation with Doflamingo, but he sure as hell didn't feel good with his decision, either. So he really couldn't say. None of this was anything he could share with those at the table. His thoughts felt jumbled, words tumbling over each other.

Lorenzo examined his drink, took a cautious sip of it. His expression told Law that he approved of the drink. Not a moment after that, men shouting fiercely at each other from the kitchen told them all that someone did not approve of someone else's definition of 'fucking well done'. The ensuring shouting match caused a roar from the other side of the building to shut them up. Lorenzo and Lainy looked distraught while Smoker tried not to laugh.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence amongst the four of them, with the restaurant noises causing occasional distraction, Lorenzo then said, "If it would make matters easier, Law, even with your birthday coming up, we'd still like to be close. Lainy and I were talking the other night, and even…even if you chose not to come home with us…if you feel comfortable being where you are right now, and they're…that family, if they're still accommodating…we'd still like to be…in talks. We understand that this is a lot of pressure, for you. All of this is being thrown at you so aggressively, and…after all these years, you still hesitate, and…it's okay. If you still need more time…it's okay…"

Lainy swallowed tightly, watching Law's expression. Smoker frowned. But he looked at Law as well. Law wasn't sure how to take it. The incident with Doflamingo foretold of something he could expect; that was different from the uncertainty he felt taking the chance with his parents. The former was comfortable; the latter, _not_.

In one ear, he heard Rosinante and Sanji insisting that he take this chance; the other told him to remain guarded.

His tongue started to press up against the backs of his teeth, but he made an effort to keep it in place. He thought about his words, sounding them out carefully in his head, feeling pressure to be exact. But there was something about the ambiance of the restaurant that allowed him to relax ever so slightly, because he could still hear cooks yelling at each other, and other diners talking to each other in comfortable tones, and no one was paying attention to them. Despite the stressful offer given to him, he felt _okay_ to speak up.

Smoker made to talk when Law answered Lorenzo quietly, "I don't know what I want."

"That's okay," Lainy said quickly, latching on it. "You're thinking about it, and it's…it's okay to think! Please, do! But…just know…despite…despite all that….all the unfortunate actions our… _actions_ had taken, please…we are absolutely here for you."

This was the moment Sanji's voice hit Law suddenly, for him to demand dialogue on his conditions into returning home; but Law wasn't even sure what he wanted from them. He had to look up to make sure the boy wasn't in sight, but the only person he saw working there was the host, leading in more customers to a table nearby.

"We…I…" Lorenzo began, looking terribly remorseful, "my actions that night were unforgiveable. All of it! Son, our grief and loss over Lamie made us into such…"

"Terrible persons!" Lainy finished when he couldn't. "We…will never forgive ourselves for it, _all_ of it, but…we want to fix it. Want to…fix…what we can – it's understandable if you cannot, I mean…so much has happened, and you've…we've gone into such terrible directions, and…! And it's understandable if you can't forgive us, but, please… _please_ let us at least try and make it up for a future…for a future that…if you chose, you don't have to participate in, but…just open our home up…to you if, _when_ , you need us!"

Hearing his sister's name made Law terribly uncomfortable. All his words and anger crashed together, his throat tightening up. "Both…you – f-forget that …her death aff- _hurt_ me, too? _What_ the fuck?"

Both of them looked startled that he spoke directly to them so fiercely, but Lorenzo said hastily, "No, never, it's not that - !"

"You - you make it all - _you_! Why was your grief… _more_ than mine? I _lost_ my sister, I watched her waste away, and after she died, I might as well have, too!" Law snapped at him, shifting in his chair with agitation as he registered the difficulty of the words spoken. Lainy brought her napkin to her mouth, eyes filling with tears.

Lorenzo exhaled heavily as Smoker sipped at his drink.

At that moment, Sanji came by and poured already steeped tea into a cup. He caught onto the tension at the table, and finally looked at everyone closely. Once he realized what was happening, he promptly overfilled the cup. He quickly wiped up the spill with the edge of his apron, Zeff yelling at him from behind the cash register. He looked at Law, who had closed up again, using his hand to hide his deep frown, glaring at the table. He set the pot down and walked away, heading to the nearby beverage station to watch from a safe distance. Zeff yelled at him again, causing diners to cringe. Frustrated, he headed to the back.

" _I'm sorry_ ," Lorenzo apologized quietly. His hands curled into tight fists atop of the table. "Your anger is…absolutely reasonable. You have every right to be angry at us."

"We were both very unmanageable with what happened to…to Lamie, and we unfairly…." Lainy took a deep, shuddering breath, "we unfairly took it out on you, and we're so…so….deeply, _we're so sorry_!"

"You have – you – we'd understand if you can't forgive us!"

Law's anger, as quick as it had erupted, was drawn back; it wasn't as if it were gone completely, still festering at the edge of his mind, but he'd given enough of himself to the pair in front of him. It had been difficult getting the words out exactly, and he was quite aware that he tended to stutter to get them out when he felt so pressured, so the will to speak left him. He chose to look out the window instead, feeling the heaviness inside of him continue to roll and build with the anxiety caused by the meeting.

The uncomfortable silence lingered there, and Lorenzo managed to unfurl his hand to reach for his wife's. In such a public area, she was forced to compose herself, but she used the napkin to wipe her eyes before placing it in her lap.

Smoker observed their reactions and Law's, then looked at his drink. The restaurant was loud enough to keep others' attentions off them, but allowed them space to feel comfortable talking of these highly sensitive things without reserve. It was good that Law showed his anger as he did, giving Smoker first indication of just how much the kid held inside of him. He was satisfied with the outburst, because it gave Law's parents a foothold. A very difficult one to use, but it was definitely a first step. Two weeks would not begin a high speed relationship between these divided family members, but the door was open to start something new.

He reached over and patted Law's shoulder, the teen jerking himself out of his reach. Not bothered by this behavior, Smoker reached out and took an appetizer for himself. He was irritated by how good was. He wanted something to complain about when that kid came back.

After eating a few more, Zeff and another server brought their plates. Despite himself, Law was hungry, and when he looked at his, he was compelled to eat. The others pulled on their plates, and made the effort to comment on the presentation, the fragrant smells wafting upward.

Law took his first bite of his chicken, and was moved by the taste that seemed to saturate his taste buds. He chewed slowly just to examine the consistency of it, the flavor that made him cut most of the breast up into pieces.

"Good?" Zeff asked him gruffly, refilling his tea cup with a fresh pour. "Or will you expire from food poisoning? Please prove me right."

His mouth full, Law muttered, "It's good."

Zeff looked at him crossly. "What about the rest of you?"

Because he stood there and waited for their reactions, the others were forced to hurry and take a bite. All of them were agreeable to what they found, and made appropriate nods and comments. Smoker decided he was going to come again, because he enjoyed the atmosphere of the place.

Nearly finished with his food minutes later, Law looked over what was left. He hated to admit it, but he felt he recognized who made the dish. It was a feeling based off the food he'd had that one night, but he didn't want to fully embrace it because he could be wrong. He observed the others eating, Lorenzo and Lainy quietly attending to their plates while Smoker picked at his teeth, having decimated his fish.

Sanji came by minutes after that, wearing a cautious expression. He glanced at Law's parents before looking directly at him. He was stemming with the need to press, but he resisted. Sanji started loading up his tray with their empty plates. Lorenzo looked at his arm with concern.

"You want dessert? One of those guys made something that looks like lemon cake, or something, comparable to that place up the street. But better. The guy that made it claims he stole it off from a guy in prison, copying the recipe from taste alone, and I can admit, it's pretty good."

Law's parents looked bothered by this information. They both made furtive looks at the workers there. Smoker looked interested, but Sanji frowned at him as he hefted the tray up over one shoulder. "But not _you_. You look a little spread out in the middle. I'd recommend a soy latte."

"You little shit," Smoker muttered bitterly as Sanji then walked off.

Law struggled not to show his reaction, but his lips tightened, and he ended up concentrating on the table. "You deserve it," he told him quietly.

"These two are very good friends," Smoker told Lainy and Lorenzo. "Maybe I can have him sit with us for awhile."

Law looked horrified.

"I think it'd be a great idea!"

"Er, if it's okay, we'd like to respect Law's wishes on this matter," Lainy said quickly, seeing how Law's expression spoke for him, fidgeting with her crumbled napkin. Her eyes were welling up again, and it had been difficult seeing him struggle to express himself, but she was grateful to see it. It had told them were they stood.

"Too late," Smoker said, indicating Sanji's approach. He dished out the delicate wedges to everyone, and sat the latte down in front of Smoker, who looked at him with a cross expression. "Sit, kid. You look like you've been on your feet awhile."

"I can't. I have to wash dishes – "

"We don't need you back there!" one of the servers shouted at him from across the restaurant, startling a few diners. Sanji turned and gave him a glare, the Trafalgars looking traumatized.

"Damn, they got sharp ears," Smoker muttered, aware of the distance. He was quite sure he hadn't raised his voice once. He cleared his throat as he kicked the remaining chair out for Sanji to take, but the boy remained standing, picking at his fingers as he looked at Law uneasily. "Introduce yourself to Law's parents."

"Uh…I'm Sanji. I…have a class with Law. At school," Sanji said nervously. "I just started working here. Actually, it's great, it's not all that bad, just a few hours here and there and I'm actually glad to get out of the house. I have three brothers who are all fucking assholes – "

" _Language_."

"But if you know my last name, that's all that needs to be said, and it's nice to get out of the house, so I don't mind it here, and even if the service sucks, at least the food is good, because you all cleared your plates, so…" Sanji struggled to say something, but ended up saying, "I'm really smart but Law is so much more smarter than me, and I made him do my – well, _correct_ my essays and shit, and – well, not _forced_ him – okay, I take that back, but eventually, I made him be my friend because I wanted to use him for his brain - ! _Not_ \- ! _Use_ him, use him, or make him do – well…ugh…"

Smoker frowned at him. "You don't work well under pressure, do you?"

" _Bite_ me," Sanji said wearily.

"So, uh, what happened?" Lorenzo asked, gesturing at his arm.

Sanji tried to hide that arm behind him. "Oh, as I mentioned, I have brothers…we fight all the time, so it's expected. _Siblings_."

"Normally, it's not suggested for, uh, maintaining an active lifestyle under certain conditions – "

"I wouldn't worry about that sort of thing. If that old man tells me to jump, I'll decide whether or not I want to. I handle tables just fine. So," Sanji started off slow, taking a breath as he glanced at Law again, "are you done, here?"

"Er…" Lorenzo looked at Lainy, who looked startled in mid-bite of her lemon cake.

"Just keep eating. I need help with the trash," he said, gesturing at Law, who frowned at him. Smoker gestured at him to take the invitation, Law looking at his parents, then at Sanji again. But he did get up, and as they walked off, Lorenzo looked at Smoker with some uncertainty. Lainy wasn't sure if she should continue eating, but she didn't want to abandon it, either.

"Look, trust me, I liked that he opened up, like that," Smoker said slowly. "That's a good step for him."

"We expected him to be angry," Lorenzo said, looking down at his dessert. "Quite honestly, we were… _I_ was relieved to hear it. As angry as I am at myself, if he were…more apt to dismiss everything as 'nothing'…I'd be…wary. But it is clear where we stand with him."

"Every home I've fit that kid into, he's had trouble with, which is the reason why we've extended his file," Smoker said, shifting in his seat to look down at the latte with annoyance. "This is the first he's voluntarily stayed the longest, and the first he's shown signs of digging his feet into. I think it's good that you've given him the offer of moving at his choice. He is attached to this certain family for the reasons he's made clear, and removing him from that situation might cause harm in unification efforts. Plus, as bratty as that kid is, he's been a good influence on Law, as well. We're on a good path to recovery. A messy and difficult one, but we've made good progress, so far."

"His birthday is coming up so quickly," Lainy murmured. "Any wrong step might push him away."

"He can be very skittish," Smoker agreed. "But he's had to learn the hard way to trust his own instinct. That's not to say that his instincts are great – he's still a kid. Got that? _He's still a kid_ , and he is still in need of guidance and understanding. No matter how he comes off, he does need an extreme amount of patience because of his past decisions. But he's a good kid. In the end of it, he is, and you must trust that whatever decision he makes, he still apt to be agreeable to a form of compromise. He just needs some time and convincing."

"We can do this," Lorenzo said heavily, exhaling lightly, looking at his wife, who agreed with a hard nod. "We can do whatever it takes to get him back. No matter what."

Outside, Sanji kicked the trash bag ahead of him on the way to the dumpster, giving Law an upbeat arm pump. "You did it!"

Law shrugged. He couldn't quite discuss the situation with Sanji freely, just yet. He just felt like he could breathe, but at the same time, he still felt tendrils of anxiety curling over him, needing to think about it later. But he welcomed this reprieve.

"If I had known it was them, I would've tried for a better presentation of myself," Sanji then said fretfully, smoothing at his hair, plucking at his workshirt.

Law snorted with amusement, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Oh, shut up. I'm not half as bad as that old man. Have you seen his mustache? What century does he come from?" Sanji snickered, picking up the trash bag and tossing it towards the dumpster with trouble. But he didn't seem to mind his own effort, trying a couple more times while he spoke. "I can't believe people still come here! The service sucks! And the fights in the kitchen are - ! Like, diners actually called the police three times this week, and I just started here, but the food is great and that's why people keep coming back! I still think the old man pays people to give good Yelp reviews, because it's insane how busy this place gets…"

At his third attempt, Law took the bag from him and easily deposited it into the dumpster, much to Sanji's annoyance. Then Law looked at him, reaching up to fiddle with his earrings. "Are you…still mad at me?"

"I'll be mad at you later. Right now, I'm just glad that you did this. You gave them a chance! And that's all that matters. It's a step!" Sanji decided, wearing a determined expression. "No matter what, it's a step. And above it all, they don't look like the type to trick you. They honestly look like they're trying."

"In the end, I haven't decided what I want."

"It's not going to be an easy thing. But I think it's important that they hear what you have to say, so you really need to express yourself along that route. Don't go along with what other people suggest and get pissed in the end because you were pressured into doing something you weren't ready for," Sanji said, wiping his hands on his apron.

Law noticed that the sounds of the street made its presence known, and he glanced up the alley, watching cars glide by. Someone's dog barked in the distance. "Uh…the food…it was good."

The way Sanji's face lit up made Law nervous. Sanji looked absolutely delighted, but then struggled to hold back, and at that moment, Law knew the exact feeling of _why_ he'd do so. And it made him feel sad, even as he felt surprised by the sensation of warmth he felt seeing his reaction.

"Oh, er, I followed a recipe of that old man's, but I added in my own twist to it. I thought you were more of a garlic guy and not the lemon spice shit, and added in a little extra sea salt to the vegetables - ! You'd eat here again, right?"

Law hesitated to answer that because he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He was also aware that there was a double meaning to it, and he was afraid to disappoint Sanji after seeing that earlier repression. He said instead, "The old guy seems cool."

"Don't tell him anything, but he makes me want to do better than him," Sanji then huffed, glaring at the building. "Always insisting he's right about the crap he makes, then challenges me to make better stuff, and tries to talk down on what I contribute, so coming here really isn't that much of a pain after all."

Law chewed on his lip for a bit. He felt nervous, and he didn't like the feeling it gave him. It was an entirely different anxiety than he had before. He said with a slight stutter, "They said they'd…be willing to move. Here. So…but…not, like, leave."

Sanji looked up at him, waiting for clarification as Law exhaled heavily. There was a part of him that was grateful for the utterly impressive amount of patience the impatient teen had for him. He repeated himself more clearly. "They said they'd be willing to move here, and I won't…have to leave Rosinante."

"Isn't that what you wanted? That sounds great!"

"…I don't know what I want."

"You'll know soon!" Sanji decided, reaching out to awkwardly hit him with an elbow. "Because if you didn't like the idea, you would say 'fuck off'!"

Law tightened his lips, but only to suppress the smile that threatened to erupt as Sanji mimicked him. He was relieved that Sanji wasn't mad at him. He felt like things would be _okay_ between them, and he realized he really needed that.

"I'd come here again," he mumbled, looking at his shoes.

"Come back to school with a different attitude," Sanji told him, leading the way back to the door.

Law followed after him, struggling to articulate the uprising of feeling inside of him. This combination of anxiety and uncertainty and absolute bewilderment why this kid kept being so pushy with him when he felt he gave nothing back.

"Why do you keep doing this?"

Sanji paused on a step up, left hand on the door. He frowned at Law. "We're friends."

"But…I'm not even contributing. I'm…" Law took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry for yesterday."

Sanji waved that away, looking awkward. "Don't worry about it. Maybe what I'm doing for you, someone will do for me. Not that I'm doing _this_ for… _that_ , just…I would hope someone would be as hard for me, too. I mean, not in a _gay way_ – but - ! Like! You know what I mean," Sanji said, flustered with his usage of words, turning red. He inhaled shortly to add, "I don't know, if I can do something like this for someone else, I guess…it makes me feel like, I can be different. I don't know, I can't explain it."

Law struggled with the words that were there, finding them heavy on his tongue, but only because they were unfamiliar with his own usage. Sanji made to open the door, and Law reached out and held onto his apron to stop him. He felt his face redden as he strove to say, "I…I ap-appreciate these things. That…you…do. These - even when I…mess it up. I…am…grateful."

Sanji exhaled lightly. He reddened with a pleased expression, feeling happy that he'd done _something_ right. He wasn't sure how to express this, reaching down to remove Law's hand from his apron but holding onto it tightly with a clench of his. "You are important. In – in the friend way, of course, not to give the wrong idea, or – like, make things, like _gay_ , but just – I'm happy to hear that. After everything, like, all my bad stuff – so, it was worth it."

"It's not done, yet," Law said, referring to the overall situation, but he looked at the way Sanji still clutched his hand in his. Rather than feeling like it should be uncomfortable, it felt _right_. Maybe he was just feeling the high of having this meeting over with, or that his future looked a little more certain, but he just felt…relieved. "Things are still…undecided."

"It'll be okay," Sanji reassured him. "The first step was just the toughest, and you got through it."

Maybe Sanji's optimism was rubbing off on him, but Law believed him. He ended up releasing the smile that had been struggling to show earlier, looking a little embarrassed doing so.

Sanji then threw his arms around his shoulders, knocking his head with his cast upon awkward action. " _Manly hug_! Not a gay hug, but a manly one!"

Law sputtered, but he was much too aware of the way Sanji smelled – like the kitchen and his shitty cologne – and he was embarrassed by his own reaction. He wasn't sure if he should hug him back or keep his arms where they were; he felt awkward, but he _wanted_ to return the gesture. Before he could decide on anything, Sanji released him to open the door.

"You're a smelly shithead," Sanji told him cheerfully, immediately assaulted by a cook that yelled at him for taking so long in the alleyway with his boyfriend. He screamed back that Law _wasn't his boyfriend_ , and Law walked back to the table, redfaced with the moment, and was embarrassed with the yells that followed after him as the cooks teased Sanji relentlessly over his own redfaced guilt.

Smoker looked at him with relief when he returned to the table, sitting back down with a noticeably lighter expression. Lorenzo and Lainy took immediate notice of it, hope dawning on their features after sitting so tensely while he was gone. They glanced at each other, clutching each other's hands under the table and then releasing quickly. Smoker knew that they refrained from expressing attachment to show Law that they were not a team united against him, but to show that they were receptive to him.

"Oh, thank god you weren't testing my college glory," Smoker told Law once he was seated, taking a drink of his cold tea. "We're done, it's all paid for. You ready to go?"

After seeing his nod, Smoker looked at the couple across from them. "We'll be in touch. You guys have a good drive home."

Licking her lips nervously, Lainy said to Law, "You have a good week, Law. We look forward to seeing you again, okay? Being able to hear from you made me feel…good. N-not the…but…just to hear your thoughts."

"This was good," Lorenzo added awkwardly. "Thank you."

Law didn't know what to say in response, but he nodded. He followed Smoker out the door, and both parents looked at each other, visibly struggling to compose themselves. A moment later, Zeff walked up to the table, holding a plate with warm, wet towels and a gruff expression of understanding. Lainy took one immediately to press it against her face, struggling very hard to keep herself composed in such a public setting.

Lorenzo reached over to hold her, telling Zeff awkwardly, "Thank you. All of it."

"Just keep it up," Zeff returned brusquely.

* * *

A/N: I couldn't sleep. e _ e So I wrote **this**. What an uplifting chapter after all the shit and angst, right?

RR: They're definitely getting there! Each event changes thoughts and feelings, and while Law thinks he knows what he wants, he's definitely unsure of how to get there. But after this chapter, he's pretty sure what he wants ; ) He just has to learn how to express himself to do so. He's already making progress! Ah, so proud of him!

Snowflake97: Sleep? Who can do that properly? e _ e This chapter definitely fixes what happened last, and it's pretty apparent that Law is very appreciative of Sanji's efforts. It can only go uphill from here! …or will it? Hope you liked this chapter!

Guest #1: :D Progress!

Guest #2: Sanji just isn't aware of it, just yet, but someone does care. He just has to express himself differently to do so, and this chapter helps!

DedicatedFan: AH! That's absolutely wonderful! Definitely made my day hearing that – I have a few relatives that have impediments that they've had to work through with speech therapy, and I admit, I fumble a lot with my own words in normal day to day interaction with others (which is probably why I tend to mumble a lot), but hearing this is just - ! :D I don't think it's a secret that I adore the Vinsmokes; I love them just as much as I love Doffy, and the more canon chapters come out with them, the better! The Strawhats are definitely around, but they take backstage to these two; Luffy will not forget what Sabo had suggested he'd do, and that's coming up, soon! Ichiji has a brother complex; he just doesn't admit it out loud.

Sarge1130: Law is definitely getting bolder, and he's gaining more confidence; and why? All because Sanji just pushes him, and Sanji doesn't realize it of himself, but his selfless and caring attitude towards someone that definitely pushes _him_ makes this happen. So, even as they hurt and fight each other, they're definitely growing closer. Rosinante is struggling, but he definitely appreciates his caretaker – as evidenced, here – but there's only so much he could do. What little he does, though, definitely gives Law will to fight. And you're right – even in the clouds, the sun will peek through! This chapter is uplifting for both, because both of them needed that small sign of assurance that the other could provide, and Law's mind is definite towards Sanji. He was able to say that, and that's all Sanji needed. Good for both of them!


	21. Chapter 21

**21**

* * *

When Ichiji, Niji and Yonji returned home from watching a movie later that day, Judge was on the phone in his study. Niji and Yonji went straight to the fridge, so Ichiji headed upstairs to look for his younger brother. He looked into Sanji's room and saw him napping, still in work uniform, shoes laid out over his pillows as he lay with his arms splayed out over the foot of his bed. He had a basket of his laundry that he'd completed but had yet to fold sitting on the floor next to him. Ichiji frowned at him, looking over at his desk to see that the laptop was open, and homework was laid out, but it had been abandoned. Since he was snoring deeply into his duvet, Sanji wasn't even aware that they'd returned home.

It felt different going to a movie without him; there was an element missing with Sanji gone. Even if all they did was argue and fight, there was something that didn't feel right when it was only three of them, versus all four of them together. This job had been good for Sanji so far, Ichiji supposed. Sanji did come home too tired to cause trouble within all of them, and he was less apt to argue when Judge made a decision, so Ichiji hoped this worked out for him. He walked into his brother's room, and carefully removed Sanji's shoes from his feet, depositing them onto the floor. The smell that hit him made Ichiji wrinkle his nose, wiping his hands onto his jeans, but he then left Sanji's room and headed to his to find a book.

Nearly an hour later, he grew aware of doglike whining coming from the hallway, and he listened closely, knowing it was one of his brothers. He realized it was Yonji, and Yonji was trying to wake Sanji up in the least aggravating way possible, but it was aggravating _him_ just hearing it. Ichiji heard the heavy sound of Yonji venturing into Sanji's room on all fours, and he heard Sanji's cranky mutter as Yonji continued whining.

"Dad, he's bothering me!" Ichiji heard Sanji complain, but it was muffled into the bed so there really wasn't much weight into it.

Yonji then launched into a play by play of the movie they seen, ignoring Sanji's complaints. When Sanji asked questions about it, Yonji's answers were easy given. There were times when they weren't fighting or deliberately antagonizing each other, and it sounded like this was one of those times. Ichiji imagined that they were seated and having their conversation with wide gestures of their arms, since neither could really talk without throwing their hands into it. Ichiji had to put down his book to listen to this rarity. Once it sounded like it was going to last awhile, he stood up from his desk and wandered into Sanji's room to see Yonji sprawled out on Sanji's bed, talking away while Sanji picked at his bare back.

Ichiji was disgusted, his earlier image of a companionable conversation drifting away as Sanji patiently popped pimples and wiped with a wad of tissue paper. He watched the way Sanji maneuvered his cast about, finding an angle to use where it didn't hurt his arm to work this way. At seeing that, Ichiji caught sight of his pain pills and a bottle of water next to it, and he wondered just how hard it was to work with that as a setback. Sanji didn't complain, though, so Ichiji thought that having an unusable limb wasn't all that hard.

He took a seat at his desk, unable to understand how Yonji was comfortable with having all his back pimples popped so casually by his brother, finding the very idea disgusting.

"How was work, today?" he asked, when there was a lull in conversation. Both of them looked startled at hearing his voice, and he wondered with irritation how he was missed so easily.

"Don't look at me!" Yonji cried, attempting to cover himself modestly, but the action was unnecessarily dramatic, considering how he was face down on Sanji's bed with his limbs dangling over the edges. Sanji frowned back at Ichiji, sitting back on his heels.

"I was busy all damn day!" Sanji answered with irritation. "I'm tired, and I have a lot of homework to do. You guys are bothering me."

"What do you have to do, anyway?" Yonji asked curiously, propping his chin up with his hands. "Like, take orders and stuff?"

"Yes, and wash dishes and take out the trash and stupid things like that. I freaking hate it. Dad freaking hates me so much…"

"Work of servants – hey, you should thank us! We gave you a head start on that sort of thing," Yonji snickered, Sanji frowning at him before squeezing deliberately hard on a particularly angry spot on his back, causing him to yell out with pain.

"This will build character and experience for later on in life," Ichiji told Sanji.

"It fucking sucks, and I don't want to hear about it from either of you," Sanji muttered, picking at a blackhead and wiping over with the napkin. "But, on the plus side, I get to get away from you guys."

"I don't know why, we're so much fun," Yonji grumbled, picking at his duvet. "Hey, it's not like you can get into trouble there, too, right? So dad doesn't have to yell at you all the time."

"It's not like I _want_ to get into trouble!" Sanji protested, sitting back once again.

"If you'd stop being so aggravating, you wouldn't have to," Ichiji complained, saving his page. "You should learn to be _quieter_ and more obedient."

"HAH!"

"Niji ate all the chocolate, again," Yonji told Sanji. "Like, decimated it before we even had a chance to ask for it. Next time, we should go when you get off work."

"I'm so tired when I get home, because I'm on my feet like, _all_ the time," Sanji told him, focused on a cluster where Yonji's singlet must rub the most. "I was out before I had a chance to do anything."

"Besides, dad likes you better when you actually listen," Ichiji continued, re-opening his book.

"Dad doesn't even care about me, shut up."

"Oh, you're so _dramatic_."

"There were some hotties in there," Yonji mumbled underneath their bickering, folding his arms underneath his chin. "They wouldn't talk to us, though, even when I started throwing popcorn at them. I swear, Niji hates women. He kept talking shit about what they were doing and what they looked like, so then they got up and moved. Next time we go out, we should really try and talk to some that don't go to our school."

"Niji is threatened by girls that have better hair than he does," Sanji grumbled, examining a particularly dark 'worm' he'd extracted from his brother's back, then wiping it on Yonji's shoulder instead. "Use a loofah!"

"What, that sea sponge thing?"

"Not mine!"

"None of them will talk to us because they're afraid of us. Females are naturally less inclined to speak to any male that looks like they could be overwhelming. With our appearance, despite the fact that we have money, we look too intimidating," Ichiji stated crossly.

"It's not that we look 'intimidating'," Sanji said crossly, looking at him. "We act like assholes!"

"We should put an effort into it, though," Yonji said. "Like, at least say 'hi', or whatever."

"That's your opinion, Sanji. Yon, you don't know how to conduct yourself in a proper manner when it comes to anyone. You start bragging about yourself before you even allow a word in," Ichiji muttered.

" _Niji_ does! He thinks talking about himself is going to impress people, when he only comes off as hella annoying," Yonji complained.

"The only way any of you will get to talk to a girl is if you're threatening her, just like you guys do in class," Sanji mumbled, wiping off Yonji's back. "You're better off saving up for one of those fake, animatronic things from the sex store."

"Besides, you're supposed to hype yourself up!" Yonji continued with a bewildered expression while Ichiji snapped back at Sanji, "That's _your_ option, considering everyone hates you, too!"

"The reason why girls ignore _you_ , Ichi, is because when _you_ try to say anything, all they hear is a shitty stick talking out of an ass! High and mighty asshole," Sanji retorted.

"I think it'd be hard approaching one to be friendly with it," Yonji muttered with concentration. "I mean, her! Approaching a real chick and being friendly with her! Damn it, Sanji, now you got me thinking about a robot."

"I hold myself with the highest regards, because I am of considerable class and superior capabilities – "

"Oh, _shut up_ , Ichiji, you alien!"

"Hey! Let's go out to the store and try an experiment!" Yonji said, sitting up abruptly. "Each of us will pick out a chick there, and talk to her! See how it really goes! No fair if it's a girl from school, though."

"Dad! Yonji's interested in girls!" Niji shouted from the stairway, overhearing parts of their conversation on his way up.

"No, I'm not! I mean, _yes I am_ , but I'm not going to break any rules!" Yonji shouted back in a panic.

"What are you lasses talking about in here?" Niji asked, striding in, Sanji heaving a huge sigh of exasperation. "Without me? Why do you guys always leave me out of a conversation?"

"You were down there, crying like a baby over a muscle," Yonji scoffed. "We're talking about approaching girls, yo. Those ones in the theater motivated me to start working on my conversational skills."

"Those ones that were all wearing the uggs and vests like bad Han Solo impersonators? God, you're so _lame_!"

"One of them was cute!"

"Sanji wouldn't know anything about 'cute girls'," Niji snickered, climbing onto the bed. Sanji started kicking at him to get off, but Yonji was still sitting in the middle of it, and Ichiji frowned at his younger brothers for thinking they could all fit there comfortably. "Sanji likes looking at the boys."

"You'd notice that, wouldn't you? The reason why you hate girls is because _you_ like boys," Sanji scoffed, blocking Niji's foot as he attempted to kick him around Yonji. "Closet case!"

"No, I'm not!"

"It can't be that hard!" Yonji insisted. "All you have to do is say 'hi'! Then ask stupid stuff, like, _What's up_? _What you doing_?"

"I like girls, I just don't like the ones our age because they're so pretentious!" Niji said with a sniff, fiddling with his hair. Sanji gestured at the action towards Ichiji, who frowned at him. "They're stuck up, with pounds of makeup and attitude. I like older women. College is going to be great!"

"Dad! Niji's looking for a mother figure!" Sanji hollered, Yonji snickering, elbowing Niji.

"No, I'm not!" Niji yelled in response, throwing a pillow at Sanji. "I'm just saying, at least they know what they want, and they don't mind age – to them, the younger, the better! Look at all these teachers sleeping with their students. Like, how do I get a part of that? Miss Nico needs to notice me, already."

"Oh my god, her boobs are so _huge_ ," Yonji exclaimed. "Like, how are you supposed to focus on the subject when she wears little dresses and pushes them into your face when she's bending over a desk?"

"Dad! Yonji's getting a stiffy talking about a teacher!" Niji yelled, Sanji snickering as Yonji hit Niji in the back.

" _Dad_! _I'm not_!"

"Dad doesn't care about the shit you guys talk about, so stop telling on each other all the fucking time!" Ichiji snapped impatiently at all of them, Yonji grabbing Niji and flinging him back first onto the bed to hit him. Sanji was nearly knocked off the edge, so he grabbed onto Yonji, climbing over him. At that moment, Niji kicked out to hit Yonji back, and caught Sanji, so Sanji stomped at him, the three of them yelling and wrestling atop of the bed. Ichiji rolled his eyes as they all fought to stay atop of the bed, clinging to each other as the piece of furniture protested their efforts. "This is why nobody cares to talk to either of you. You're all so fucking immature."

"So much judgment from an old man," Niji commented, rolling onto his stomach to look at him, Yonji pinning Sanji down with one arm and threatening to fart on him. Niji received one of Sanji's feet to his face, so he whirled onto his side and kicked Yonji, which only prompted the bigger brother to lay on both of them, crushing them with his weight.

"I just feel that my maturity levels make it difficult to relate to anyone of my age, regardless of gender," Ichiji continued at normal level, as their yells exploded with renewed effort over their wrestling.

"That's because you're an alien, and aliens belong with other aliens!" Niji insisted, latching onto Yonji's back while Sanji kicked him from the front. Yonji grabbed Sanji's feet, and all three of them finally tumbled off the bed, crashing onto the floor.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Judge yelled from downstairs.

"Why does he yell at us all the time?" Yonji grumbled, getting up. "We're not even doing anything."

"He's mad about something regarding work," Niji explained, rolling onto his back.

Ichiji rolled his eyes because Yonji's complaint was fairly silly, considering that all three of them were tattling on each other minutes earlier. "Why do I even bother hanging around you guys, sometimes? Every time we're together, you three act like idiots, and I have to stand there, silently, taking the harm because there's nothing I can do to say or do to stop it."

"Let's go out to the store!" Yonji urged, finding his shirt and yanking it on. "Let's go do this! It's Saturday!"

"Why are we?" Niji asked, bewildered. "Fuck it, let's just go!"

"I want some cigarettes," Sanji said, ripping off his apron and work shirt, reaching for a t-shirt.

"You're not allowed to have any," Ichiji reminded him crankily, Sanji flipping him off.

"Dad! We're going out to pick up some chicks!" Niji yelled as they then trampled out of Sanji's room, Ichiji following with a huge sigh, abandoning his book on Sanji's desk.

"J-K! We're just going to the store!" Yonji hollered, battling Niji for the keys as Sanji fixed his hair in the mirror hanging near the closet door.

Judge stepped out from the study, giving them a puzzled frown. "What's this? What's going on?"

"We're going to the store! We need stuff," Niji explained, checking to make sure his wallet was in his pocket.

"These guys want to practice their pickup lines," Ichiji said crossly.

Judge rolled his eyes, waving them off. "Boys, don't do anything stupid to invite trouble with either law enforcement or with any potentially destructive social media viral video. Also, do not take in new numbers onto your phone. I don't want any of you trying to start any type of relationship with a girl. I don't want any of you losing your focus towards your athletics once a floozy is involved."

Sanji rolled his eyes before he followed after the others, Ichiji giving another suffering sigh.

But by the end of the night, as they were settling for bed, he caught sight of Sanji hugging his cast to his chest with a weary expression, attempting to soothe the limb with pointless rubbing of the hard plaster. Despite it, Ichiji wondered what the small smile was about; did he have a good day overall, or was he thinking about something else? After all that business with English, the constant fighting between the brothers and Judge, the new job, what did he have to smile about?

Ichiji hoped it was because all of them had gotten together, this evening. He hoped that with Sanji's busy schedule, he wasn't thinking of that boy; it irritated Ichiji that Sanji still spoke to him at school, but because the brothers were on high alert to Sanji's sneakiness, they'd kept them apart pretty well. Ichiji was sure this was only a phase Sanji was going through because he was feeling like an outcast amongst his brothers.

It also bothered Ichiji how involved their classmates were to this situation – how those D boys kept interfering made Ichiji well aware that the kids were talking about it. It wasn't their business, but those two kept watch over English like they expected him to be ambushed. He would be, of course, but Ichiji couldn't approach him outright when those guys had eyes and ears all over the school. Ichiji just wanted Sanji to stay on the right path. Straying off their father's plans wouldn't be good for Sanji's future. If he just kept his place, he'd be fine; he wouldn't wind up like Sola and Reiju, living in a one bedroom apartment in another state, struggling to make ends meet because Sola was too weak.

He didn't think too much of his mother, but at the same time, he was impressed with the way she held it together. He didn't know why Judge chose her, but she was their mother, and she had nothing to do with their upbringing. If she could continue to stay out of it, all four of them would be as successful as their father and have something to be proud of.

: :

After talking to his mother on Sunday, Sanji hoped that Sola didn't try to talk to Judge about what happened to his arm and hair – as far as he was concerned, she'd only make the matter worse. With Sola attempting to bawl Judge out would only have his father's wrath on him for unnecessarily worrying her.

He headed to his room, to finish up the few things he needed to do. He finally put his recently laundered clothes away, and when he came to the sweater that Judge had him throw out – he'd retrieved it from the trash and washed it with his load – he examined it with a thoughtful frown. He took a few minutes to write a note, folded it, and stuffed it into one of the pockets. Then he folded it and slipped it underneath his books in his messenger bag, to give back to Law Monday.

As he worked, he thought about yesterday. He couldn't repress the smile that burst forth every time he did. Law was appreciative of him; he was "grateful". Sanji knew he wasn't lying, because he'd learned Law had a hard time enunciating his words clearly when they were overwhelming, and Sanji knew Law was speaking the truth. It filled him with such hot warmth that there was nothing he could do to hide his reaction.

All of Sanji's emotions leapt right out of him every time Law appreciated his gestures, so much of it that he couldn't quite sort them out and put them in appropriate places when necessary. While Friday had hurt him deeply because Law was right, he couldn't be angry at him. There was a part of him that wanted to – that bastard stole his first kiss because Law thought guys like Sanji wanted it – but there was a bigger part of him that couldn't. Because even if it were a short peck, _boy_ , did it feel nice. Sanji had every confirmation he needed to know that he was definitely attracted to boys.

After the anger and hurt faded away, Sanji did think about the things Law was already aware of; which only made him curious. _Horrified_ , but curious. There was a part of him that told him to push for these things; 'get it while he could', because Law had offered. Maybe if he didn't like him 'that way', maybe Sanji could use him.

Another part of him asked why he'd do that.

But overall, he did like the feel of being useful to someone that appreciated him. If they could continue being friends, Sanji would like that very much. Because it felt good to talk to someone who wasn't his brothers, that needed his company as much, and Sanji _still_ liked him. He had liked hugging him, holding his hand – was Law aware of how much it meant to Sanji to allow him to touch him like that? These were new things Sanji wanted to explore, because all he knew of hands were hands that hit or grabbed, so doing things like hugging, holding – this was something he wanted to take more part of.

He debated constantly within himself if this was appropriate behavior. Law made it clear that they were 'friends'; but Sanji wondered if he should take what was offered. His conscious was a wreck because of these changes, and he didn't know what to think.

That Monday morning, he had Law meet him in his next classroom, where he passed over the sweater, and waited for Law to finally hand over the one he'd been wearing. With his teeth and one arm, Sanji ripped the garment by the button holes, tore off one of the arms as Law slipped on his own sweater.

"This can finally be retired to the trash heap!" Sanji declared, stuffing it into the bin near the teacher's desk. "Don't try digging it out, either."

"I have been known to eat trash straight out of the can," he heard Law mumble as he made adjustments to the sweater, stretching and pulling at the hem.

Sanji considered this, and grabbed it to throw it in the dumpster. Law then sat down at his desk, noticing what he was doing.

"I was kidding," he said sourly.

Sanji restuffed it and wandered over to him, saying, "If you don't mind, can I ask you a couple of questions?"

Law looked at him suspiciously as he took a seat in the desk across from him. "About?"

Sanji took a deep breath, lowering his voice at the sound of kids lingering in the hallway. "When you say 'guys like me', like…what did they do when…they wanted your attention?"

Wholly uncomfortable with the question, Law just looked at him with a troubled frown. Sanji pressed on with, "Look, my brothers were trying to hit on chicks at the grocery store, and they totally failed. But seeing as I got to pave my own route with, well, _things_ – "

"If you can't be mature talking about it, then you're not ready for it," Law mumbled uneasily.

"Maybe I'm not," Sanji agreed with a shrug, "but now that I have time away from my family, maybe, where I work, I can get the attention of someone who might be interested in me, and I was thinking, how would I know?"

"I can't give you this type of advice."

"But if they're trying to be subtle, how would I read the signs? Like I said, you had experience with it, so what happened to you?"

Law stared at him with such a disturbed look that Sanji wondered if he'd asked something wrong. But after a few moments, he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, propping his feet up on the chair in front of him. He mumbled, "They'll start off being nice. Then start giving …gifts. Compliments. Then ask about your experience – "

"I have none, but I can fake it, right?"

"Then…then…they'll…start off with 'I wonder how' statements …related to how you'll respond. Safe gestures like…hugs and pats. When you respond, because your hormones will do it all f-for you, that's…that's when they…go…far – until you …go along with it because – the…attention."

"'Compliments', huh," Sanji murmured, thinking about it. He was pretty sure he'd fall for it right away, considering how rare he received them. "How would I know if they're lying?"

"You won't know until…after…t-they're done using you."

"'Using'? Well, I'm sure it'll be beneficial because I'm getting what I want out of it, too."

"God, you're such a fffucking weirdo," Law stuttered with disgust, glaring at his desk.

"It's not like I can get feelings, anyway! I can't! I know I wouldn't be liked for me, right?" Sanji snapped at him. "You said it yourself!"

Law shook his head as he started to grow rigid, jaw flexing. He ended up glaring at his desk, and Sanji stared at him, unsure of what he'd said to cause this reaction.

" _Now_ what?" he asked impatiently.

"You piss me off."

"What did I do?" Sanji exclaimed, standing up. "Am I not supposed to ask about this sort of thing?"

Law didn't answer, pulling his sleeves over his balled fists and hunching even lower in his desk. Sanji didn't understand what had happened, and he gave a heavy exhale, fiddling with the cast.

"Look, straighten me out, I'm sorry. I don't know what I said. I thought, as friends, I could get some advice from you – "

"Why you think a- _sking_ me - _shit_ -is appropriate?" Law snapped at him, hitting the desk with both hands. "If you want to fuck with -! F-find some dudes like _you_! Leave me out - !"

"I'm _asking_ because you kissed me as a fucking _favor_! So because you have experience, I just thought I'd ask you - !"

"Asking me is - _stupid_!"

" _Why_? I don't know why you're so mad - !"

" _FUCK OFF_!"

Alarmed at his behavior, Sanji turned and walked away hastily. He left the classroom fiddling with his fingers, those lingering the hall looking at him with bewilderment. Unsure of what he'd done wrong, Sanji hurried to his next class, sitting into his desk with a heavy sense of confusion. The bell rang, and he exhaled deeply, running over the conversation to see where he'd gone wrong.

He had plenty of time to do so, pinpointing it when he'd asked for subtle signs. He knew he'd crossed a line. But how was he supposed to know that? He had to tell himself that Law's experience was different from his.

Because of this troubling reaction, Sanji realized he was wrong to think of using Law like this. At lunch, he went in search of him and finally found him sitting on the stairway near the gym's auditorium room, where they sat last time. He approached him cautiously, sensing the tension and anger around the other boy. It was almost similar to approaching a snarling animal, but Sanji was determined to fix this because he wasn't about to lose everything he'd gained thus far over his own ignorant comments.

He moved to sit by him when Law stood up, and Sanji figured he'd have to talk fast or grab to stop him, but he wasn't expecting the punch to connect with his jaw. Light faded for a moment, and he felt his knees buckle, so he reached out to catch himself, but wound up hitting the railing with both arms clumsily. He did manage to keep himself from hitting the stairs, but he slumped to sit as his legs threatened to bend even further to have him tumble the few steps to the landing.

Once he was sure he had himself in order, he covered that part of his jaw with both hands, wondering if he still had his teeth. Numbness and unsettling tingling left his thoughts disordered. He sat there, listening to the bell ring in the distance. After some time he could feel his teeth, but the resounding pain was enough to make him whine lightly, feeling tears sting his eyes. He hung his head, fighting the urge to cry with frustration. But all he was worried about was that Law would stop being his friend because of his ignorance.

A moment later, he felt Law sitting next to him. When Sanji dared to look, Law looked incredibly upset as he sat there. He wasn't wearing the usual furious expression, and if he truly was angry with Sanji, he would've been long gone. Sanji wasn't sure what was going through his head, but his appearance was enough. He released his jaw with one of his hands, and, with some hesitation, reached out and touched Law's rigid back. It was almost as if he were touching a coiled spring, and he held himself rigidly, waiting for him to get up and leave.

After a few moments, Law shifted, lifting up his arm and cautiously placing it on his shoulders, utterly tense as he did so. To Sanji, this was an invitation, and he took it to lean against him, glad to be forgiven. Law seemed to feel the same, because his back lost some of its rigidity, and his arm rested more firmly against Sanji's shoulders.

Sanji could feel him working up the nerve to speak, so he waited for Law to gather his thoughts together.

"I ruin everything," he said tightly, and Sanji wondered how that was so when he felt it was _he_ was the one thinking that.

"It'll be okay," Sanji reassured him stiffly, having trouble speaking.

" _It's not okay_!" Law insisted, withdrawing his arm, but not withdrawing himself. "I…tried – thought I could, but I couldn't…do the advice – it – "

"You don't have to – "

" _Let me get this out_!" Law snapped impatiently, and Sanji nodded to let him. Exhaling shortly, Law then spoke again. "None of my…experience is – so – I _can't_ – relate to things- to the things you want. I'm not – valuable to what you seek."

"Okay. I get it. But it's up to you to tell me what you're comfortable with," Sanji added, seeing Law inhale to speak. "I'll try and read you as best as I can, but I miss things, too."

"But you can't know - until I say something."

"Okay."

Sanji heard Law swallow hard before he managed to make himself look at him. Sanji faced him, not afraid to make eye contact with him. When grey met brown, there was definitely a shock between them both. Sanji thought it would be wrong to feel that when he was told it was one-sided, but it was such a new and exciting feeling to experience that he didn't feel like lying to himself. He didn't want to upset Law any further, though. He withdrew his arm and placed both hands in his lap, to fiddle with his palm. He worked his jaw sorely, knowing it was going to cause him trouble later on.

Law rested his elbows on his knees, reaching up to rub his eyes, then rested his palms against them. They sat like that for some time, unmindful of their attendance. Right now, all that mattered was the pair of them together, working on things they couldn't work on with anyone else. After some minutes, Law looked at him again, and Sanji could feel him doing so.

Law reached over and cupped his jaw gently. He examined it, then stood. "I'll go get you some ice."

"No, it's okay."

" _No_. I'll be right back."

"Let's just go to our classes," Sanji said, rising to stand. "We've been gone long enough."

With a troubled expression, Law considered this. As they walked side by side down the stairs, Sanji was aware of his closeness, the way his hand shifted against his. It might have only been the way their steps caused them to bump slightly into each other. But his fingers curled towards his. He made to drop it because he only meant it as a gesture of reassurance, but then Law's fingers curled around his. He looked embarrassed doing so, but the strength in that grip spoke otherwise. Watching him, Sanji threaded his fingers through his, just to see how far he could go with it. Pulling the door open for them, Law held his hand tightly, and Sanji could not explain how delighted he felt for these small gestures.

What made the moment more exciting was that there was no sign of letting go as Law walked him to his class instead of leaving him to go to his. Once there, Law looked at his face again, gently tilting his head to do so; shame colored his features. Sanji caught his hand before he could drop it, to catch his attention.

"I'm _fine_ ," he assured him strongly.

"I should've just – _said_ – something -!"

"Maybe this is the reason why we met. I can take this. You bring out…something different in me. Things no one else has," Sanji told him firmly, Law dropping his hands to his sides, wiping them on his slacks. He had to think about that.

His eyes dropped to his jaw again, and he reached up to touch his face. Sanji was so overwhelmed by the moment that he took a step back, bumping up against a couple of lockers. But he was so intensely focused on the other boy that nothing mattered at that moment; just the touch and feel of Law's hand against his skin, the remorseful and yet hopeful look on his face. Sanji's eyes dropped to his lips, then back up again, and anticipation made him brighten at the possibility that felt intensely heavy between them.

"Do you like me?" he asked shakily, needing this validation first.

"…Yes," Law answered after a few moments, a little surprised that he'd admit it.

"Okay," Sanji confirmed with a faint nod, giving him permission to follow through.

Law felt himself smiling a little, feeling an uncomfortable amount of things – things he'd sort out later – but he kissed him because it _felt_ right. He didn't feel like there was anything wrong about it; he wasn't being pushed to do it, and the sensation it produced was welcomed. As he pulled back, Sanji followed after him, kissing him clumsily, reaching out to grab his sweater to keep him from moving away. His inexperience was hard teeth against his lips that made Law wince, but he reached between them to steady Sanji's face, to kiss him gently. After a few moments of this, Sanji followed his example, his face hot under Law's touch. When he pulled away, Sanji was looking at Law like Law had just given him the moon and stars, and it was hard not to ignore that.

" _I felt it_ ," Sanji told him, fingers tightening in his sweater.

"You make me nervous," Law admitted, lowering his head because Sanji's face spoke so much positive volume, that he didn't know how to handle it. He felt his lips against his nose, his forehead, his fingers in his hair, and he felt himself wilting into that because, despite his anxiousness, he could _feel_ it, too.

"It'll be okay," Sanji assured him on a whisper, entirely excited over what had just occurred. Everything was _worth_ it.

Overwhelmed by his own feelings, Law pulled away from him, but he didn't release his hands. "We're going to get in trouble," he told him.

Sanji did consider the consequences of what was happening, but they were gone just as fast. He let go of his hands as Law then turned and walked away, heading towards his history class. Heart still racing, Sanji licked his lips, his hands nervously moving over his face, straightened his hair. Now that the cloud of excitement was fading away, he looked around himself, aware that they were inside the school, where anyone could have seen them. It did occur to him that any of his brothers could have seen, but he was sure they would've said _something_.

He cleared his throat and walked into his classroom with his usual flair, unapologetic for being late.

: :

As Sabo was retrieving his books for next class, Koala slammed into him from the side. She tiptoed as high as she could to kiss him soundly on the cheek.

"I'm sorry!" she said cheerily, causing him immense suspicion as she retreated from him. "You were right!"

"About what?"

"Those two."

At his questioning expression, lowering her voice, she answered, "Sanji and Law."

"Oh," Sabo said, still not understanding. " _Okay_."

Seeing that he still didn't know what she was speaking of, Koala rolled her eyes. She leaned in close so that he could hear her above the noise of the busy hall. "I saw them!"

"Yeah, they're pretty good friends," Sabo said, relieved that he didn't have to prove himself.

"Friends don't _kiss_ each other the way they were," she told him, Sabo dropping his books unexpectedly.

" _They were kissing_?" Sabo repeated, mouth dropping open.

"Shh!"

" _Who_ was?" Ace asked, stuffing the rest of his breadroll into his mouth.

"Sanji and Law," Sabo repeated, crouching to pick up his books.

" _Shh_! Sabo!" Koala snapped at him, looking around anxiously for any sign of the brothers.

"This is a secret?" Ace asked, puzzled, pausing in mid-chew.

"What's a secret?" Luffy asked, looking at them curiously as he shouldered his backpack, but kept a steady hold on his pile of chocolate bars in one hand, Nami looking on with a curious expression.

"Sanji and Law," Ace told him, Nami's face brightening.

"Why's it a secret?" she asked.

"They were spotted kissing – " Ace choked on his words as Koala shoved her palms against his face, Luffy's mouth falling open at the treatment of his brother.

" _KISSING_?" Nami repeated, in complete shock.

"Who was?" Zoro asked, Ussop at his side, Nami's bag at his shoulder.

"Law and Sanji. I guess it's a big ole secret, so, _shh_ ," Luffy told them, finger against his lips.

"Why is it a secret?" Zoro asked, puzzled while Ussop looked horrified.

"We're talking about _Sanji Vinsmoke_ , right?" Ussop clarified, Koala looking at them with a terribly distressed face, Sabo realizing late how quick this was going to spread as other kids around them performed double takes. So his expression turned similar with horror. Ace realized moments later what this was going to lead to, making a sheepish frown.

"You guys are making too big of a deal out of it," Zoro said, yawning again. "So what?"

Koala slapped Sabo's arm with an upset frown and stalked off, Nami looking after her with a startled look before hurrying after her. Ussop ran after them, still carrying Nami's bag for her. Sabo made a face, Ace and Luffy looking to him with guilty expressions.

"Maybe it won't be that bad," Luffy said, opening up a candy bar. "Want some?"

"Let's hope not many people heard it," Sabo muttered, looking at his books and realizing that he had the wrong ones.

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Ace scoffed, crossing his arms. "So _what_?"

"Our thing is those fools hearing about it! They're sneaking around for a reason!" Sabo snapped at him.

"What are _they_ going to do? It doesn't seem like their bro's being forced into it! They have nothing to get mad about."

Sabo shrugged, hurrying off to class with the proper books, while Ace and Luffy looked at each other. Pointing at Zoro, Ace said, "Give us the deets if that he-man woman hater starts lashing out on Trafalgar over this."

"Yeah, whatever," Zoro said, wandering off with another wide yawn.

"I honestly don't know why it'd be a big deal," Ace said with a sigh, he and Luffy walking off to their next class.

Luffy concentrated on chewing as the bell rang soundly, sending most of the students scattering to class. "Does this mean they're, like, together?"

Ace shrugged. "I don't know."

"It's not a big deal," Luffy decided, shrugging. "There's a lot of couples like that, here."

"Yeah, but it was just weird because of how things started off, so that's what bothers people," Ace told him.

As they made to take different routes to class, they caught sight of Ichiji stalking down an adjoining hall, looking furious. Both of them paused in place as this registered, Luffy and Ace looking at each other apprehensively.

"Meet in front of Zoro's class right at the bell," Ace told him. "Something tells me big brother is _pissed_."

* * *

A/n: *dramatic gasp *

thank you, RR, DedicatedFan, Snowflake97, and Sarge1130 for your reviews! Last chapter was just the beginning! :D


	22. Chapter 22

**22**

* * *

" _What_?" Niji and Yonji exclaimed together as Ichiji faced them, pacing short steps in front of them. They were on the landing between floors, as kids left their classes with the usual excitement reserved for the end of the day, and Ichiji had called the two of them together for a meeting.

"But _why_?" Niji cried furiously, red faced. "Everyone's going to start talking about what sort of a fag my own brother is - !"

"Who saw this happen? Maybe they were mistaken!" Yonji protested, mouth open. "There's no way Sanji would do that in front of everyone!"

" _Quiet_!" Ichiji snapped at them both, looking to the side. Being that they were on the other side of the school, Sanji would not know they were talking without him. Ichiji supposed he was already outside, waiting for him in the parking lot. "Look, for today, don't say anything about it. Don't bring it up to him. Don't let him know that we know. So far, everything he's done he's managed to either hide or simply not care about. The thing is, father has done what he could to discourage him, and Sanji has not faltered in any way to stop from doing this. Our words have fallen on deaf ears, and he seems not to have cared too much over…what happened that one day. So, upon this, I have to think of another way to discourage him from taking this route."

"You can't un-gay people," Yonji pointed.

"We can disown them!" Niji growled, fists balled up at his sides.

"Overall, we've seized the wrong opponent," Ichiji said, hands on his hips. "Of course Sanji would fight us – it's expected. But the kid he chose to mess around with…he's a different sort. His file tells me he's easily broken, despite the show he puts on. He has a time limit – he has a questionable background. If we can't discourage Sanji, we'll have to shift gears."

"So, we go beat him up, then?" Yonji asked tentatively. "Because that sounds…like it'd interfere with my wrestling."

"I got a meet coming up, and, frankly, my side is really giving me problems," Niji complained, holding his right side.

Ichiji stared at them incredulously. "I wasn't going to suggest that in the first place, but it astounds me how easy you've given up on the idea! This concerns our family as a whole!"

"Well, yeah, but dad would get pissed at us if we did something to fuck up our sports careers," Yonji muttered.

"I mean, I can do it, no problem, but he's a little taller than me, so I might need some backup bringing him down," Niji said.

"Shut up! Both of you are stupid!" Ichiji snapped at them, watching them look at each other sheepishly. "I said nothing about physical retaliation. For now, we're going to be supportive."

" _WHAT_?" they cried again.

"Yes," Ichiji insisted. He crossed his arms "We're going to be… _supportive_. We're going to put on this show, that this…is something we'll have to accept of Sanji."

"Have you gone _mad_?" Yonji asked cautiously.

Niji kicked the nearby bannister. "For what point? I don't agree to my brother coming out at a freaking faggot! With _English_? Fucking old man, skeleton faced ninny -!"

"We're going to show the entire school that we're okay with this," Ichiji continued over their protests. "We're going to apologize publicly for our ways, and we're going to do nothing to interfere with whatever it is those two want to do."

"I don't agree to this!"

"I don't know if I can," Yonji muttered as Niji snarled, growing red in the face. "I mean, that might be a little farfetched for me."

"Think of it this way, you two. How nice it would be if they were allowed to conduct themselves in this manner, to be free to express themselves, but what a shame it would be if one of them were pushed to react because the other wasn't the person he was supposed to be?"

Niji and Yonji looked at Ichij with clueless action as Ichiji smirked. "Psychological warfare."

"Okay, I'm going to have to be told what to do every step of the way, because I'm not following," Yonji sighed, rubbing his head. "This sounds like I have to do a lot of thinking, and I really can't afford to do that, right now."

"Are you saying you're going to fuck with someone's head until they mess up?" Niji asked for clarification.

"Yes."

Niji and Yonji looked at each other, then gave halfhearted shrugs and grumbles.

"I'm not going to make this easy for either of them," Niji muttered. "I can't. It's too gross. How disgusting. So, you're going to be okay with Sanji hanging all over some dude in the middle of the hall - ?"

"Hey, we can't!" Yonji shouted, startling some kids walking by. "We're not allowed to have girlfriends, so why is it different for him?"

"Oh _yeah_! _Injustice_!" Niji cried, fist shooting up into the air. "This isn't fair!"

Ichiji frowned at both of them.

"If we can't have girlfriends, he can't have a boyfriend, it's just not fair!" Yonji continued, hands to his head. "It's the same concept! We'd still have to tell dad about this, and dad's going to be pissed."

"Even if you do, consider this – you tell dad Sanji's seeing English, and dad will react furiously, as he should. He will forbid Sanji from doing so, yell at him, slap on some consequences for him to suffer, but do you think, after everything that has already happened, that Sanji will abide by it?" Ichiji asked curiously.

Yonji and Niji stared back at him with bewildered expressions, then looked at each other.

" _No_ ," they answered together.

"Then go ahead and waste your time."

"So, we're covering for Sanji while he _blatantly_ breaks the rules?" Niji asked on a snarl.

"Make his life miserable, Niji," Ichiji encouraged. "Please, do and say all the things that you want. Unleash it all on both of them. And the school will come together in support of their relationship, bashing on you, making it harder for you as you try to achieve justification of your prejudice on what your brother intends on achieving. They'll find sympathy for him – this poor, spoiled rich brat who found lust with a poor, neglected and disabled piece of shit from the streets – it's already reeking of Romeo and Juliet before any of us has a hand in it."

Niji groaned noisily, shoulders slumped and face pointed towards the ceiling. Yonji gave Ichiji a concentrative expression. "But those guys killed themselves, so are you thinking Sanji will do that, too? Like, for attention?"

"Who knows?" Ichiji replied crankily. He smiled though. "That kid Sanji is messing with is already fragile – he snaps very easily, he's starved of normal human interaction, and he's already with blood on his hands. It'll be easy to fuck with his head. If physical intimidation has done nothing to these two, then there's another way about it."

"You're a scary motherfucker," Niji said, straightening. "Like, that's Hannibal Lector shit leaking out of your mouth."

"So, you're going to mind fuck this guy until he leaves Sanji?" Yonji asked Ichiji for clarification.

"Pretty much."

" _Ohhh_ ," Niji and Yonji said, staring at their brother as if they'd seen him for the first time.

"While I still think it's unfair that he's allowed to bend the rules," Yonji started off with before Niji interrupted with, "I will _find_ a way to make both of them suffer for what's happening!"

"So, are we clear on these things?" Ichiji asked, unfolding his arms.

"We're just going to pretend that we don't care, but talk shit anyway because you're going to do your dastardly mind fucking powers on English," Yonji said, counting off his fingers.

"I'm going to punch Sanji in the face!" Niji decided. "That way, he won't be aware of our plans!"

"I'm just going to bitch and bitch _and bitch_ about how he's getting away with one of dad's rules, and not make this easy for him!" Yonji added, glowering at the floor.

Ichiji rolled his eyes. He headed for the stairway, all three of them making their way down to the first floor. "Good. Do that. But don't let Sanji know what our true intentions are. Is this understood?"

"Yeah," they chimed, with varying expressions of grumpiness and disgust.

"So, should we tell dad about it?" Niji asked, pausing in the main hall. "I just gotta get to swim, so…"

"Do whatever you want," Ichiji murmured. "Sanji's going to do whatever it is he's going to do, with dad's permission or not. But the more dad reacts negatively to his actions, the more stubborn Sanji will be. Since his efforts aren't working, I'll work on English myself."

"Okay, whatever," Yonji said airily, waving at them as he walked off into the opposite direction.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Niji glared at Ichiji, then left for the swimming pool. Ichiji frowned on his way out to the parking lot, fists curled tight. Sure enough, Sanji was waiting at the table he normally sat, and he looked at Ichiji with question as he approached.

Ichiji wasn't sure if Sanji were aware of them knowing what he was up to. He studied his brother's face while he walked up to him, and his younger brother held tightly to a rather stubborn frown, clearly expecting something from him.

"What's your problem?" Ichiji finally asked, watching for any shift of expression. He would either let Sanji tell him what was happening, or wait until it was exposed that he knew.

"What took you so long?" Sanji asked him uncomfortably. "You're usually here when I get here."

"I can't take my time? I ran into the others and spoke with them before coming out here," Ichiji said, taking a seat at the table.

Sanji watched him, standing pensively with his hands in his pockets. Ichiji noticed he was wearing a fresh bruise on his jaw, the imprints of knuckles causing him to stand up to look closer. "Where'd you get that?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Who'd you piss off, now?"

"It's none of your business," Sanji said stiffly, touching the spot.

"Did you drop?"

"Just about."

"Sucker punch? That Monkey kid, again?"

"No to both."

"Someone had enough of your shit."

Sanji shrugged, lowering his hand.

"Did you deserve it?" Ichiji asked, folding one ankle over one knee.

"Yes," Sanji murmured, looking away with a heavy frown.

Ichiji studied him for a few moments, deliberately making him uncomfortable as he fiddled with his uniform, touched his hair, his cast. Ichiji then looked over who remained in the parking lot. He felt betrayed; frustrated and angry that his little brother wanted to ruin what was practically given to him. But if he couldn't get to him, then he could make the other boy crack. English's file was enough for Ichiji to use. He stood up and walked over to his brother, taking hold of his chin to force him to look in the other direction so that he could examine the wound better. He tightened his hold when Sanji made to jerk away.

" _Who_ did it?" Ichiji asked.

Before Sanji could answer, both of them heard a snort nearby. Both of them looked over to see Luffy walking up to them, chewing on a fully loaded hotdog with a 7-11 wrapper around one end. A plastic bag hung from the crook of his left arm; drinks, snacks and what looked to be a half gallon of milk pushing against the plastic. With his mouth full, he dropped one hand to wipe on his slacks, examining both of them with a critical expression. Ichiji and Sanji glanced at each other, unsure of what the Monkey boy wanted with either of them.

"Hi," Luffy said in their direction, swallowing tightly. "What's up?"

"What the hell do you want?" Sanji asked, Ichiji frowning at Luffy as he turned away from his younger brother. Having both of them abreast of each other made Luffy consider their confrontational stance versus the one that was just held moments ago.

"Nothing. Just saying 'hi'," Luffy said cheerfully. He held out the arm with the bag. "Want a snack? The milk's for me, though. Garp sent me over to the gas station for it, in case he forgot."

"No," Sanji said slowly, having absolutely no idea how to respond to this very random moment.

"School took way too long, today," Luffy said with a sigh, taking another large bite of his hotdog. "I fell asleep only twice, though. Hey, you have PE at all?"

"… _No_ …"

"You have classes mainly with Zoro, right?"

"…Yeah…?"

Luffy then looked at Ichiji, furrowing his brow as Ichiji looked back at him, feeling himself tense because Luffy was going to reveal what it was Ichiji was only waiting for Sanji to say.

"Where's the rest of you?" he then asked, looking around them. "There's four of you, right?"

"What is it to you?" Ichiji answered stiffly.

"I never really looked at you guys as a set before, that's all," Luffy answered, finishing off the rest of his hotdog. "I thought I could look at you all before you went home, today. Are you identical, or fraternal?"

"Fraternal."

"Like a fraternity?"

" _No_ , idiot."

Walking up close, Luffy examined Ichiji's face, then Sanji, eyes straying on his newest facial wound. "What happened? Someone get lucky?" he asked, tilting his head as Sanji turned his. "Who hit you?"

"What's it to you? Get out of here! None of us asked to talk to you!" Sanji snapped at him. Luffy frowned at him suspiciously, digging out a Gatorade from his bag and ignoring his request.

"I noticed you weren't in the hall after lunch," he stated, opening up the bottle and taking a sip. "Is that when you got jumped, or something?"

" _It's none of your business_!"

"You've been coming to school with a lot of different things about you, so I was just asking," Luffy grumbled.

"Isn't this cute?" Ichiji commented, hands on his hips. "The rabble interested in _our_ business."

"No one cares about what happens to me, dipshit, so don't bother asking!" Sanji snapped at Luffy incredulously, finding his invasive questioning rude.

"Okay. _Well_ , I guess I'll see you tomorrow! Let me know if you want anything to eat, I'm sure I'd have extra!" Luffy then ambled off, leaving behind two very confused Vinsmoke brothers.

Ichiji thought it was very suspicious that the youngest D brother would approach them that way. He was positive this was Sabo's way of letting him know that they were under their surveillance – because everyone in the school knew that he'd retaliate in some way, and that Monkey kid was checking up on Sanji's schedule because they were planning on 'protecting' him in some way.

Sanji wondered what brought that on – it was unusual for Luffy to seek someone out without wanting to blast them for some reason or another. Since he did not approach them aggressively, Sanji didn't know what to think. He fiddled with his cast before looking at Ichiji and seeing a rotten expression on his face. He wondered if he'd missed something. He tapped his lips.

"I really want a cigarette," he commented.

"I've been really relieved not smelling that shit all the time," Ichiji told him, taking his seat.

"I don't give a fuck. Anyway, wasn't that weird?" Sanji commented, looking in the direction Luffy had taken. "He never talks to us, save for that one time..."

"Did something happen?" Ichiji asked him, removing his glasses to clean them.

" _No_ ," Sanji muttered, looking at the table with a terribly heavy frown. Ichiji stared at him while he wiped his glasses clean.

"I'll ask around, maybe even look at the security footage to see who blasted you," Ichiji then decide, slipping his glasses back into place. "Protecting somebody because you're scared of them isn't exactly ideal around us."

"I'm not protecting anybody! I – I deserved it, I was talking a bunch of shit, and I wouldn't shut up, so…this was justified."

"At least let it be someone from your class, and not a younger classmate."

" _Yes_."

Ichiji frowned at him. He didn't think it was Law because if they were seen kissing, then that was the opposite of committed violence. He figured he'd find out another way. His curiosity was only piqued because of Sanji's reluctance to say anything about it; it was important to keep tabs on Vinsmoke opponents, and even if Sanji deserved it, Ichiji only wanted to know who he'd pissed off recently.

That Wednesday morning, he and Niji walked up to the class Niji shared with his brothers, and, being that first bell hadn't yet rung, saw that Mr Hansen was not there yet. Yonji had the position of distracting Sanji away from the room so that Ichiji could find his answers. Since this class was the most active with Sanji's usual commotions, Ichiji thought he'd start there, first. Once he walked in, Niji took a lookout position at the doorway, and since it was unusual to see Ichiji in a lower class, everyone there took immediate notice.

Once he had every student's attention, he crossed his arms firmly over his chest and looked at each of them individually. It pissed him off that Law wasn't yet present.

"My brother is walking around with a bruised face," Ichiji stated low. "I know what an idiot he is, but he won't say who did it. It's now up to me to locate the person, or persons necessary for that injury just to find out what caused it. It's fine and dandy if it was only retaliation to whatever shit he caused, but if it were an unprovoked attack, then this person needs to answer to me."

Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably, unsure of how to answer. Puzzled expressions ranged from 'I-Don't-Know' to curiosity. Ichiji was aware that it wasn't easy for anyone to speak up for this sort of situation, considering who they were to face, but it seemed that no one had an idea of what he was speaking of.

"What does it matter?" Zoro asked, frowning at him.

Ichiji looked at him. "It matters because someone struck my younger brother, and it's unusual of him to hide it. He has no trouble admitting who he'd pissed off, but now I'm curious as to who it was that felt they had to lay a hand on him."

"Everyone knows he's a dick and he deserves it, but it's not up to you to find out who did it and what for," Zoro said. "It only sounds like you're going around trying to intimidate kids on his behalf."

"Normally, I don't give a fuck. _Now_ , I do. Especially since he's incapable of fighting back," Ichiji snapped at him.

"With an injury _you_ guys caused yourselves," Zoro pointed out.

"Shut up, moss!" Niji snapped. "Your opinion is stupid and insignificant!"

"Pick one and leave it at that," Zoro told him.

Before either Vinsmoke could say a thing, they were both bumped forward as Law walked in, pushing through them as he headed to his desk. Ichiji had to catch himself as he stumbled, and Niji made to attack when Ichiji swept an arm up against his chest to stop him. Uncaring of their reaction, Law wandered to his desk without a look back.

"You jerk!" Niji snarled, resettling by the door to watch out for Mr Hansen.

"What happened to Sanji's face?" Ichiji asked Law, refolding his arms over his chest and glaring at him. He noticed that the sweater he was now wearing was more fitting – it lacked the weird stain in the shoulder, and was looser, suggesting that it was his in the first place. He figured Sanji had finally returned it once their dad bought him a new one.

Once Law settled at his desk, he realized that the eldest Vinsmoke was talking to him, and that the class looked as if they were being held hostage. He glanced at everyone, seeing their uncomfortable reactions, then back at the red-haired teen that glared at him. Being put on the spot made him uncomfortable, the content of Ichiji's question reaching him belatedly. He did not like the position he was in; he felt safe because he knew Ichiji couldn't openly do anything, but he found it odd that Sanji's injury was even in question after what his brothers were capable of doing to him themselves.

He minutely debated on the outcome, then said stiffly, "I hit him."

Ichiji frowned crossly at him, trying to read his expression. Kids shuffled in their seats, uncomfortable with what was being revealed. Not that their reactions mattered to Law, but could sense sympathetic looks in his direction. Everyone seemed to understand why he would, but they also seemed to wince under the admission.

" _Why_?" Ichiji demanded shortly.

Law shrugged. "Felt right."

The bell rang, and Niji nudged Ichiji with a foot to indicate that Mr Hansen was on his way. Ichiji hated the way Law disregarded him; how this kid could think to play these games with his brother just made Ichiji more determined to _ruin_ him. Not on Sanji's behalf, but because Law chose the wrong person to push.

"Make sure to _kiss_ it better, please," he then said sweetly as Mr Hansen walked in, and faces erupted with combined horror that Ichiji was aware of the rumors, and that he'd openly say such a thing to Law in the first place. "If you plan on carrying on some disgusting relationship with my little brother, then you'd best know your place."

"What's going on?" Mr Hansen asked, looking at him with a startled expression as everyone in class shifted with immense discomfort over the entire scene.

"Nothing," Ichiji told him, leaving the classroom while Niji snickered, and sauntered over to his chair while other kids rushed in to avoid the tardy bell.

"Pretty _gross_ ," Niji commented loudly for Law to hear. "Like, who knew? Like, I was aware Sanji swung differently than most, but to take it up with _you_? You're gross, too. I guess guys like you has to get it where you can find it."

Law did wonder how word had gotten out over this – did Sanji say something? Or were they seen? Why did it matter to people what they were doing? It wasn't like either of them were friendly with anybody, but he supposed it made sense that Sanji's brothers would cause a fuss. In a small way, he did like the feel of upsetting them. But he was also aware that he could be putting Sanji into a potentially dangerous situation with his family, because they'd already shown that they were capable of hurting him.

He said nothing in response to Niji's words, but because the Vinsmokes were aware of what had happened, Law did wonder what effect it would have on Sanji. If Sanji would regret choosing him, if it would hurt him, or –

Sanji and Yonji finally swept in before the late bell could ring, both of them grumbling at each other as they made their way to their desks. Now that they were aware of things, their classmates looked at Sanji's face with interest, Sanji unaware of the attention as he swept off his bag and demanded Mr Hansen's attention to the latest grades that the teacher had put up the night before.

"Not now! After class," Mr Hansen said with a heavy sign, Yonji hollering at Niji for a response to his text. At Niji's answer, Mr Hansen had to raise his voice to be heard.

Sanji made his way to his desk, noticing Niji snickering at him, so he sat with a frown, tossing his bag atop of his desk. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing," Niji told him. "Did you and Yonji find what I'd asked for?"

"No! I'm starting to think you guys were lying to me about it," Sanji grumbled, pulling out a pen.

"I'm serious, I dropped a hundred dollar bill between the seat and the console, in the car's own Bermuda Triangle, and it's finders keepers if it's located," Niji said with a sniff.

"I make my own money, now," Sanji said, almost cheerily as he settled in his seat. "I don't need your handouts."

"It's good that you do," Niji told him, grinning. "To support that boyfriend of yours."

" _Shut up_!"

"Ichiji gave his approval, but he needs to stop abusing you," Niji added, Sanji looking over at him with a frown.

"Mr Hansen! Niji needs to be drug tested, he smells like weed!" Sanji hollered, Mr Hansen cringing at the volume of his voice.

Yonji twisted in his seat as Niji glared at Sanji. " _Niji_! Is this true?"

"NO!" Niji shouted at him, throwing his pen at Sanji, Sanji ducking quickly with a snicker.

" _Shut up_ , all three of you, please," Mr Hansen snapped, turning to the whiteboard.

Halfway through the class, as Mr Hansen was setting up a projection to display a short documentary on the screen he'd pulled down in front of the whiteboard, Niji straightened up from his desk after putting his phone away. Loudly, over the casual din of the classroom, he asked, "So? When are you two going to come out with it?"

"Come out with what?" Sanji asked with irritation, flipping through his notebook for fresh paper.

"Grandline High's newest prom couple, of course! It's all over the school that you two are a pair," Niji said, folding his hands underneath his chin while Sanji looked at him with a start. Law rolled his eyes, hunching his shoulders because that definitely drew attention their way. Most of those who overheard Niji tried not to look as if they were listening, but they were.

"Whatever," Sanji muttered.

"Rumors are, you guys were caught in a passionate embrace," Niji continued. "So fucking _romantic_!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Ichiji was actually in here, giving it his blessing," Niji added. "So, the whole school knows. If big brother is fine with it, we're, _ahem_ , fine with it."

Sanji looked at Niji with bewildered action, momentarily shocked. He didn't know what to say, mind racing, unable to picture who had seen. He knew that they could have been seen – but was it a true statement that his brothers knew? He didn't know how to react.

" _Guilty_!" Niji hollered, startling those that were listening. "He has no words!"

"I have words! And shut up, stop spreading rumors! What's your problem?" Sanji snapped at him, throwing his pen at him.

"Trafalgar, welcome to the family," Niji told Law, who did his best not to give the teen a reaction. "It makes sense that Sanji would choose trash to play with, considering no one else would give him a chance."

"Shut up, Niji!"

"I am going to separate you both!" Mr Hansen snapped, turning to glare back at them. "Stop disrupting class!"

"Yeah, you guys!" Yonji yelled. "I'm trying to learn, here! We all are for our education, not gossip!"

" _Separate_ us!"

"It doesn't matter where he goes, we're still going to have a conversation!"

With a huff, Sanji brushed his hair out of his face, but he couldn't help but look at Law, a little panicked with how he should react.

"All I'm saying," Niji said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair with an impatient stomp on Koala's chair, "is that this is _okay_ with us. Ichiji said it was fine as long as it doesn't affect the family in any way, but _I'm_ pissed because you fags piss me off, and I'm _not_ okay with it. But, overall, _we're_ okay with it."

Yonji twisted in his chair again, blocking the view of those that were trying to watch the documentary, but also keeping an ear out on the confrontation as well. Mr Hansen drank heavily from his water bottle.

"It's _okay_ ," Yonji stressed, stretching a plastic smile over his face, eye twitching. "You two can come out of the closet, now. It's _safe_. We've got a safe place in our arms just for you both."

Sanji reddened, ready to explode at both of them, Niji laughing loudly. He didn't have to look, but Law knew Sanji was close to that breaking point. He sighed heavily, leaning back with restless action in his chair.

"Countdown to a meltdown!" Niji hollered jovially, Mr Hansen standing up with a growl.

" _Shut up_ , all of you!" Koala shouted out fiercely, rising up from her chair with a slap of her hands atop of her desktop, causing those around them to startle. Breathing tightly, aware that she had everyone's attention, she looked back at a surprised Niji.

"You need to stop this idiotic instigating! What are you, five?" she snapped at him. "Your behavior is absolutely disgusting! I'm sick and tired of hearing you pick on your brother because you're a fucking asshole! And you! You big green turd, you're just the same! _Shut up_! And YOU! You know what they're doing, why do you keep responding to it?"

"I'm feeling attacked, Mr Hansen," Yonji complained. "Why is she allowed to talk to me like that?"

"I can't concentrate on what you're saying when your breasts are heaving like that," Niji told Koala, whose face reddened, covering herself in response. "So can you repeat yourself? Slowly?"

Koala slapped him, and most of their classmates cheered as Mr Hansen roared for order in his class, ringing for the security guard. Niji rose up in his seat to strike her back when Sanji leapt out of his and slammed into him, both of them tumbling to the floor.

"Are you _stupid_?" Sanji snarled at Niji, using all his weight to keep his brother from getting up and exacting revenge on the girl.

"Get your fag hands _off_ me!" Niji howled, shoving at his face while kicking to get back to his feet.

Yonji sighed heavily, shaking his head at the sight of his brothers rolling around on the floor, knocking into desks while kids watched with intense fascination. "Dad's going to be so _pissed_ ," he muttered sullenly to himself, sending a message to Ichiji.

"Please take your things and head on down to the office. I'm sure you'll be fine," Mr Hansen told Koala, who did so with her head lowered. He immediately separated Sanji and Niji, the security guard hurrying in at the first prompt Mr Hansen had sent. He forced Sanji down to his seat and gestured at Niji to gather his things. Red faced and furious, Niji did so as the security guard stood nearby, hand on his Taser. "Don't let him bother her."

Everyone clapped as Niji was led out of the classroom, Mr Hansen scowling at all of them. As he headed to the front of the class to restart the documentary, Yonji complaining noisily about the treatment of his brother and the other students talking excitedly about what had happened, Law turned in his seat to look back at Sanji. He was still red-faced, glaring at his notebook, still near 'meltdown mode'.

He reached out and touched his head, Sanji looking up with a startled expression. "Your older brother started this," Law told him quietly. "Earlier."

Fidgeting with his pen, Sanji glanced around nervously. Ichiji's behavior made sense, yesterday, and he swallowed tightly once he realized a couple of kids were looking over with interest. He looked at Law uneasily, trying to determine what he was thinking from his expression.

"People _know_?" he asked anxiously, unsure of what to do from there.

"I don't care if they do," Law told him.

That wasn't something Sanji wanted to hear at that moment, just knowing that there was more to his brothers' agitation than what they were saying. Maybe prompting him to tell the truth, to expose them, to entrap them both into something drastic. He did not accept their 'acceptation' of the rumors. If Ichiji was behind it, then Sanji definitely felt intensely wary of any retaliation or action that they might take. He unconsciously fiddled with the cast on his arm, aware of what they were capable of.

He didn't want to reject Law's feelings, either, by denying them. He looked at him with worry, coming up with nothing to say in response to the matter. He was definitely very nervous about how the situation would play out. He didn't want to lose what he'd just found with Law, but wasn't sure what his brothers were capable of now that they were aware of them.

Aware of his distress, Law dropped his hand from Sanji's head to his hand, and gave his tightly curled fingers a light squeeze. Sanji deeply appreciated the gesture, but he was so agitated with the possibilities of his brothers' future actions that he couldn't return it.

* * *

Naghi-Tan: :D

RR: Ah, his brothers' reaction definitely caused concern, especially with Ichiji's plans. D: While they show positive reaction to Sanji's absence, this chapter showed that they definitely aren't 'for' him or his choices. The content of that note is to be revealed! How they'll continue to behave will should have a reader nervous.

DedicatedFan: LOL the vinsmokes are too badass in canon to show off their immaturity side (save for Yonji, that wicked little 'cinnamon roll' (I love him in the manga – he's definitely their younger brother XD Those panels with him delight me!)

A to the Z: Eek! Thank you! :D With Ichiji at the helm, shit will hit the fan *gently, but enough to cause a ghastly mess

Snowflake 97: Ichiji's reaction was here, and he has a plan, indeed! Not a good one, but hopefully these two realize it in time. But only time will tell what will happen because of it. The angst this fic will have will continue as they get closer.

Sarge1130: The brothers definitely miss him when he's not around, but it's not always a positive reason. They all fit together, but they aren't very supportive in any way – they're just waiting for their moment. When it's just them, they're fine, but when someone comes in between them, it's definitely not acceptable, especially with Sanji's choices being what they are. Ichiji is too 'mature' to allow their constant ribbing bother him, and they know it, so they give up. Haha! Law isn't – hes already acknowledged what experience he had (male and female, but how much is only limited to what he will only acknowledge, and the difficulty with what he spoke with tells much of it). In the end, two people with limited knowledge of what affection is is only based on what they know (which isn't very much), but it'll be fun/difficult to write what they do! The D boys are aware, and their interference is clumsily expressed XD but they will continually be involved – especially after Koala's stance!

Thank you all for reading and commenting!


	23. Chapter 23

**23**

* * *

Apprehensively, Sanji paced the hall outside of the office, out of the window's line of sight. Niji was still in there, and while Ichiji had walked in earlier, Sanji wasn't going to barge in just yet. He knew the blame was going to be placed all on him. It was just a feeling. He was absolutely frazzled that they all knew what had happened yesterday – did the entire school know? He hadn't looked at anyone to notice any knowing looks his way, thanks to Yonji and Niji's distraction. How could the three of them have hidden their knowledge of this from him? Wouldn't they have attacked right away? He was confused by their late response. He just knew it was because they were up to no good.

Koala had left the office minutes earlier with her boyfriend, but it looked as if she'd escaped any sort of trouble, for she wore a satisfied expression. They'd missed seeing him, but Sanji overheard her telling Sabo that Niji was still complaining about the treatment he'd endured by her hand. Sanji was confident that Niji wouldn't retaliate because of Sabo, but it was still a strike against Sanji for jumping in as he did. He was pretty sure he'd get it once they got home. Judge would definitely blame Sanji for this course of action.

He peered around the hall to look towards the office once more, keeping an eye out for Yonji; it was odd that he wasn't around, either, but Sanji figured Ichiji told him to stay back. He just knew his brothers were conspiring against him for that act, and while he didn't regret it in the least, he was very apprehensive about what would happen because of it. Anxiety made his breath a little heavier.

"What are we looking at?" he heard asked below him, and he was startled to see that Luffy was peering around the same corner, crouched at his feet. Sanji shoved away with a startled sound, nearly tripping over the boy as he made to rise.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sanji snapped at him, turning and making to walk away now that he was exposed. "Get away from me!"

"Oh, I just wanted to see what you were up to. I came over here to buy some candy. Want a bar? It's for a fundraiser for the animal shelter," Luffy said, pulling out wadded bills from his slacks.

Sanji stared at him incredulously, unable to believe the gall of this boy. " _No_!"

"I heard your brother got into trouble this morning. Koala hit him good!" Luffy then chuckled. "Serves him right, actually, for the stuff he was saying to her. But Sabo will still kick his ass if he could. I heard you stepped in to protect her – y'know, that was a really good thing you did."

"I didn't do it for her," Sanji snapped at him, clutching his bag strap with both hands. "I did it so Niji wouldn't get into further trouble."

"Yeah, right," Luffy said with a wide grin.

Striding off, Sanji headed quickly towards the classroom Law was in, and found him staring out the window. Flustered, he said, "Maybe it's not a good idea to be alone. I don't know what they're going to do."

"I'm not worried about it," Law told him, not looking at him.

"You should be. The three of them together could do something stupid."

"It's not anything different," Law answered vaguely. He then turned away from the window to look at him. "But for you, it could be dangerous. You live with them."

Sanji sat down in an empty desk near his, fiddling with the edge of his cast. He looked pensive for a moment, then said, "I'm sure it'll be okay. After all, they did all they could do."

"It could escalate."

"I…wouldn't worry about it," Sanji murmured, noticing the lack of confidence he spoke with and hastily clearing his throat to speak more clearly. "I think that if anything else happens to me, people will…start to speculate. And there's enough talk already, so…"

"I don't think you understand what can happen – "

"Not all experiences are like yours," Sanji said stubbornly.

Law frowned at him, then looked down at his anxious actions. Despite the way he spoke, it was obvious Sanji was worried. "I guess if you have enough money, it could go away. But at what cost to you?"

Sanji didn't know what to say. He was afraid, he wouldn't deny that. Just remembering the way his arm was broken and then smoothed over with a 'boys will be boys' comment came back to him with stomach churning force. But he looked to Law. "I don't regret it, though. I don't regret what got me caught."

Law didn't say anything, taking in that determined expression of his. Risks were dangerous, and he knew personally what they would do to someone.

Sanji got up as the bell rang. "I can do this. I _want_ to do this. I just…want to know if… _you_ want to keep doing this."

Law wasn't sure how to feel about that. Sanji frowned at the sight of his expression, Law unsure of what sort of face he was making, but before he could say anything, Sanji left him to hurry off to his next class. Kids began filing into the classroom, so he took a seat, feeling a little numb. But he dipped his hand into his sweater pocket and pulled out the note that he'd found there.

'You make me feel like I can be a better person.'

Was this all worth it? He felt a lot different than he had when he'd first come to this school – enough for Rosinante to comment on it – but was it worth it to put another person in danger? He _wanted_ this – for everything Sanji had done for him, he wanted to give as much, but was it worth watching a family tear down one of their own for someone like him?

He carefully refolded the note and slipped it back into his pocket.

At lunch, Sanji marched over to where his brothers were already seated, Niji pouting as Yonji ate from a cooler he'd pulled from the car. Ichiji was reading, so by the time Sanji arrived, all of them looked at him with contemplative frowns. Niji tried to kick him, but Ichiji elbowed him in the chest.

"Sit down," Ichiji commanded of him, Sanji standing off to the side with a stubborn frown. "Don't get confrontational with us for no damn reason."

"What's going on?" Sanji demanded, lowering his bag to the grass. "What's all this shit about?"

Yonji and Niji looked to Ichiji to speak for them, both with varying expressions of dissatisfaction. Ichiji exhaled, picking at the salad he had next to his book.

"We _know_ ," he stated, lowering his book, marking off his page. "All the kids are talking about it, so it's not a secret, anymore, that you've been messing around with that kid."

"People are stupid!"

"So, you're saying Koala is a liar?" Ichiji asked, lifting an eyebrow. Sanji couldn't think of any reason why the girl would spread such a rumor, so he accepted that she must've been the witness. Which made him redden a little. "Look, Sanji, who knows you better than your own family? We can't stop you from seeing this kid, disgusting as it is, so we're not going to interfere with it. You will hear us bitch about it, through."

Sanji was intensely wary of this 'acceptance'. He looked each brother in the face, searching for lies, agendas – but they gave him nothing but their own versions of reluctance.

"It's not fair," Yonji grumbled, digging into his premade meal. "Bending dad's rules so that you get a boyfriend when he told us 'no girlfriends'."

"I didn't bend any rules!"

"Sanji, just accept that we know you're not going to let this go," Ichiji said impatiently. "Any further denial of the issue is just plain exhausting. _We know_. You're the only one that will have to deal with dad's wrath on it when he finds out."

"You fucking assholes do anything gross in front of me, I'll kick both of your asses!" Niji threatened. "And don't think this morning's transgression will get ignored, either! That girl struck me without provocation, and if females want equal rights and shit, they should expect to get hit right back!"

"I only did that so you wouldn't get expelled!" Sanji snapped at him. "You're so stupid!"

" _You're_ stupid!"

"Both of you are stupid!" Ichiji snapped at both of them. "You're lucky dad talked the principal out of suspending you, Niji, and be satisfied with the fact that you're still on the swim team – just out of practice for awhile. Learn from this, idiot. And Sanji…"

He sighed heavily, having trouble with his own words. "Thanks for stepping in like that. Niji's actions would have cost him both the wrath of father and that stupid Sabo."

"He's still going to kick your ass," Yonji told Niji. "I overheard him talking shit about it in third period to that Ace guy."

"Bring it! But he better not sucker punch me from behind, because I _will_ rise up like a fucking zombie and gnaw the shit out of his raw hamburger face!"

Ichiji then looked at Sanji, who was still having trouble accepting their approval. He smirked. "I hope this time is worth it. We're not going to make you comfortable with this continued defiance."

"You guys already know what…which way I go, so it shouldn't even be a surprise," Sanji muttered.

"What's fucking surprising is that we were right!" Yonji grumbled. "You're a fucking predator. It's like seeing a kid kicking a puppy in the street."

"But if he continues to lay his hands on you, we _will_ interfere," Ichiji interrupted, picking up his book. "That's our only warning, and I already made that clear to him this morning."

"Only _we're_ allowed to kick your ass," Niji added.

"The thing that gets me is that everyone in this school finds it in their best interests to interfere," Ichiji continued, taking a bite out of his lunch. "This PC generation, motivated by acts recognized on the internet, wanting to pave the way for equal rights. For some reason, they forget and forgive the way you've treated him, and seem to give approval to this relationship. _Hypocrites_."

Sanji had to agree with him on that one. He had made Law's life hell upon his arrival, but the things in-between; those were the things that gave him this chance in the first place. They were now closer because of it. He hoped Law remembered that.

"I don't think he wants to be with me, anyway," he mumbled.

" _Why_?" Yonji asked automatically, outraged. Niji kicked him underneath the table, causing him to sputter, food dropping from his mouth.

"Because you guys are assholes!" Sanji shouted at them.

"Yes, we're not going to make this easy, but if he chooses to back out because he doesn't have a fucking backbone to withstand _us_ , then he's not someone you should consider as a potential companion," Ichiji said with a disgusted expression. "How will that reflect on you? On the family?"

"Oh, fuck the family's ideals…"

"He needs to take responsibility!" Niji yelled, slamming his fists upon the table. "He brought you into this mess, he needs to follow through! Backing out like a fucking wimp once we give approval? He practically exposed you as a fag, so he needs to stand where he made room to do this! Otherwise, he only made you look like a total fucking fool!"

"Well, a bigger one," Ichiji added.

Yonji looked very confused, but he continued eating, just in case he said something stupid.

Sanji was utterly confused by his brothers' reactions. He wasn't sure how to address them, but every instinct of his commanded that he not let his guard down. They were suspiciously accepting of the situation.

Taking a deep breath, fists at his sides, he said, "Yeah, I kissed him. Yes, I have feelings for him."

" _UGH_!" Niji shouted, Ichiji frowning deeply, Yonji pausing in mid-chew to stare at Sanji as if he'd just revealed a grand secret. So Sanji thought he'd just strolled right into their trap, that they'd just baited him into admitting it. He stiffened.

"We don't need details," Ichiji snapped at him. "Knowing that it actually happened is enough!"

"So _unfair_ ," Yonji muttered bitterly, his brothers looking at him suspiciously before he hastily clarified himself. "That you get a boyfriend! That you get to do this! That's what I meant!"

"You realize he exposed you to the entire school," Ichiji started, rising to stand, palms on the table, "because he probably won't even stay here! He'll leave, and you'll be left behind, exposed as a fucking homosexual! You won't have any support because you're a fucking jerk to everyone here, and you don't have _our_ support, so did you even think about that?"

Because he could be right, Sanji not knowing what Law would do, he bit his lip. He had been living in the moment, and hadn't actually thought about what Law would commit himself, to.

" _Idiot_!" Niji snarled.

"So, did you just get played?" Yonji asked curiously. "That's what it means, right? To get played?"

"If he did it just to expose you after everything you did to him, then it serves you right!" Ichiji said.

Sanji felt his head lower a bit, fiddling with his sweater hem.

" _Idiot_ ," Ichiji told him. "You obviously weren't thinking with your head."

"UGH!" Niji shouted to the sky, folding his arms over his chest and leaning far back on the seat. " _AIDS_!"

"Are you going to die?" Yonji asked on a shocked whisper. "If you do, will we feel it, because we're brothers, and like, we know stuff like that?"

Niji stopped making his disgusted face and straightened up in his seat to look at Sanji with consideration, obviously just as curious as Yonji.

"I'm not going to die!" Sanji yelled at them.

Ichiji walked over to him, slinging an arm around his shoulders, pulling him towards the table. "You've obviously been played, brother. Fell right into his trap."

Sanji didn't feel it was a trap, but he did think about what would happen if Law happened to make up his mind about what he was going to do. If he went with his parents, would he convince them to allow him to stay here? If he chose to leave school, how would they see each other? He felt so stupid for not having those things in mind. He was very aware of Law's indecision, and also aware of his options so, this time, Ichiji had him there.

"That settles it, then," Niji said, rising from his side of the table. "Let's go beat him up. Then we beat _you_ up for being so stupid."

"I've got this wrestling commitment, so I actually can't, right now," Yonji said, his mouth full again. "But I'll totally support you guys from the side."

Sanji jerked away from Ichiji. Without anything to say, he then turned and walked away. Ichiji looked after him with a frown, then looked at the others.

"That was easy," he said, almost disappointed.

"Yeah, I thought it'd be harder than that," Niji said, sharing his expression.

Yonji looked at both of them. "Wait, was this…was that all part of Ichi's plan? That psychological warfare? Because it totally sounded like you guys were serious in being supportive, and all that."

Niji slapped him upside the head while Ichiji took his seat. With a huff, he said, "I guess it wasn't what I'd expected. I'd prepared myself for a longer battle. But if this is the end of it, I suppose…job well done. We'll just have to deal with the consequences of his stupidity."

"Meltdown modes for the rest of the week, I guarantee it!" Niji grumbled. He mimicked his younger brother's facial expressions. " _Boo hoo, nobody likes me_! That's all we'll hear of it."

"He really liked him, too," Yonji said with a frown. "I guess we should beat that guy up just to, y'know, get back at him for making us look stupid, too."

Ichiji frowned at him, finishing his salad. "Let's keep it an option outside of school. It'll be justified if he does end up causing the inconvenience of Sanji's mood swings."

From the quad, Sabo sighed heavily, squinting at the three brothers resuming their lunch. "I wish I knew how to read lips!"

"It didn't look all that bad," Ace agreed. "Just looked like they had words, and that guy's not, like, _mad_ upset."

Gritting his teeth, Sabo said with frustration. "If I could just get my hands on that blue haired bastard, I could settle this once and for all!"

"It sounds like Koala has him handled," Ace assured him.

"Just in case, though, we shouldn't drop our guards. It's really too bad," Sabo added. "That kid seems a lot happier not being around his brothers, so from this, it's apparent that it's their influence that he is the way he is."

Ace scowled. "Like, I know what you're saying but he's still a little jerk."

"Sometimes, all it takes is a little change and necessary influence from others," Sabo said, almost reminding him. Ace rolled his eyes as they turned away, headed back towards the others. "Even so, we shouldn't with a blind eye until we know for sure what will happen. I suspect they'll pick more on that other kid than they will with their own brother to satisfy their sick display of power."

"This is so…like, it's none of our business but it's turning into our business, and I don't know how I feel about that."

"Niji should have never bothered Koala, and _made_ it my business."

While this was happening, Law was sitting against the backstop of the baseball field with a cigarette, thinking about this morning. He was hoping for Sanji to come meet him so that he could at least see him – he felt bad for the expression Sanji had given him before he'd left, so Law felt that Sanji thought Law was pulling back from him.

Committing himself to the possibilities of someone being hurt because of him made him more aware of what he was worth. He reached into his sweater pocket and withdrew the folded note. He knew that Sanji had changed a lot because of him; he held himself differently around Law, a constant presence that gave Law some life. Maybe the pair of them could keep motivating each other, push each other, and it was a different sort of friendship he had where these feelings were _good_ – not based on friendships where he was coaxed into making the wrong decisions because everyone already felt defeated enough to take a different path.

He did want it, but there was so much weight in his own insecurities that made him feel that he shouldn't. It was only possible if Sanji kept pushing, and he if suddenly stopped, Law felt that it would be impossible. He wasn't strong enough on his own to make a decision like this one, so he felt that if Sanji could just continue to be there to push him…he would eventually grow into his own strength. He recognized that he was relying so much on Sanji, but…

He fiddled with the paper, turning it over and over in his hands. He had an idea that Sanji was confronting his brothers – how he had the strength to get in their faces after something like this was admirable to Law because he couldn't imagine doing it unless he was cornered – so he figured he'd wait to hear the result of it. He wrestled with the idea of going out to look for him, to be there if they swamped him, but he had the thought that his presence might only aggravate them even further.

 _Trust your instincts_ , he was told. He flicked the butt away, opening the note to reread it. Sanji's words were different from the others. Sanji spoke with all his emotions and thoughts, and because Law had seen his changes for himself, he knew he mattered to Sanji. Anyone who would willingly put themselves into danger for him…that was a difficult concept to accept. But it was happening.

He rose to his feet, wiping off his slacks, putting the note back into his pocket. He left the baseball field and started walking towards the parking lot, agitation causing his heart to race and his breath to quicken. But as he reached the building, he caught sight of a couple of seniors ragging on a small group of kids. It looked like a portable device was being tossed from hand to hand, the older boys laughing and jeering at the kids that were trying to get it back. He made to walk away, hesitating with the action. It wasn't his business and there was no need to get involved with something that didn't involve him in the first place. But he did have an advantage if he approached from behind…

Walking over, he saw that the boys from his first period class – _what were their names_? – a girl with wavy hair, and another guy with a head warmer trying to get to the device, but the seniors were threatening to break the thing if they all approached as one. As the senior held it up high to break it against the building wall, Law snatched it out of his hand, much to the senior's surprise. He gave it over to the boy closest to him as the two seniors turned to look at him.

"Fag," one of them muttered as they recognized him, the other snickering. "Hey, hey, tell us your name!"

"Can you say, 'retard?' No, really, can you?"

The names didn't matter to Law, so he turned and walked on, hearing the other two follow to continue their verbal abuse. The group hastily grabbed their things and began yelling at the two following after him, trying to interfere. Law figured it would turn into a confrontation, so he prepared himself for that moment, fists tightening up at his sides. Once he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned and swung, connecting with the kid's suddenly raised arms as he set himself into a boxer's stance. Seeing that controlled movement made Law step back quickly, dropping his eyes from the senior's face to his shoulders to watch which arm would extend first into a punch. Correctly guessing, he avoided the quick punches to his face, his hands up to mimic the senior's stance. But as the senior swung once to drive him back, he took a wide step outside the senior's feet and drove his knee into his groin, taking the punch to the shoulder. But Law's move dropped the kid instantly, a high pitched whine leaving him as he cradled himself.

His friend rushed him, so Law clutched his fist with his other, and used his elbow to swing and hit as he stepped to the side. He connected just enough to catch the senior in the ear, causing him discomfort, but as he straightened up to attack again, he was suddenly stumbling forward, losing contact with the pavement. Law stepped away to avoid being hit, seeing that Sanji had kicked him from behind. The teen kicked at the boy stumbling to the ground, then administered a hard kick to the senior already seated for the hell of it. He made to continue his attack when Law grabbed him and dragged him away.

"Fullbody, you and Jango fuck off with your stupid shit! You think you're so fucking tough? I'll kick both of your asses at the same time! Get up, Jango, you stoner piece of shit, I'll take you both on myself! Cocky motherfucker shit stain! I'll knock you both back a year!" Sanji yelled at both of them, stumbling alongside Law as the older kid held onto his sweater to keep him walking. "What'd they say to you? Are they talking shit? Did they do anything? Hey, what the fuck are you guys useful for if you're not even doing anything? There's _four_ of you, assholes, there's more of you than them, what the fuck?"

" _Calm down_ ," Law told him, pulling him into the building as Sanji yelled at the group of kids that were just watching with sheepish expressions.

"If Fullbody even fucking complains, I'll talk to the principal myself about what happened – what the hell are you doing, taking those guys on? Did they come at you first? I'll talk to them after school, for this, they can't do that! They want to be expelled, I'll make sure of it!" Sanji huffed, jerking away from his grasp and straightening his sweater. Then he looked at Law, searching for injury. "Did they land any? Why are you even getting involved with those guys? What did they want? Did they - ?"

Law just looked at him, feeling amused by his concern. He felt his lips twitch with a smile, and shook his head in response to the questions Sanji had fired off.

"I was just coming out to find you, bum a smoke, but then I saw that and I just grew even more furious," Sanji explained with a heavy sigh. The bell rang at that moment, and he slumped with disappointment.

"Are you okay?" Law asked, pausing in the middle of the hall to look at him as various kids began streaming in from their lunch spots to find their lockers.

Sanji made a raspberry sound, looking away from him. "I…just don't trust my brothers, that's all. They talked about being 'supportive', but I don't believe it for a minute. They're up to something, and…I don't know what to do."

Law nodded, observing his upset expression. He didn't know what to say, knowing that things would intensify with what happened. But he expected Sanji to be as stubborn as he usually was, defying his brothers' commands. Sanji looked up at him with a frown, searching for the things he needed to say in a short amount of time. But as the hall filled with students, making it difficult to hear one another anyway, he figured he would just think about it later. Neither of them felt confident enough to reach out and touch the other, but the want was there.

"Hey, I brought you lunch!" Luffy announced, showing up unexpectedly with a wrapped hotdog tray of sandwich meats and cheese, a bag of chips enclosed inside. Sanji looked at him with bewilderment, Law frowning as the kid pushed up to them with his arms full; Luffy was also holding his own supply of snacks for later. "Since you were busy an' all, Ace said you didn't eat. So, here."

"What the hell? Is he spying on me again? _What the fuck_?" Sanji shouted angrily, reddening as Luffy looked at him with a frown.

"This is why you're shorter than they are," Luffy stated. "Because all you live off of is anger and fighting. That's not healthy."

Law took the tray from Luffy, opening the wrapping hastily. He started to eat the meat and cheese hungrily, ignoring the bread. Seeing him eat, Sanji exhaled heavily as Luffy looked from one to the other with caution. Seeing that he was only going to let Law eat, Luffy reached over for the bread and forced it into Sanji's mouth, both of them stumbling back up against the lockers, struggling to throw each other off. Law watched only for a moment to make sure it wouldn't escalate, but seeing Luffy trying to force feed Sanji made him feel at ease. Sanji managed to push Luffy away from him, chewing and swallowing what was forced into his mouth while Luffy looked on with approval.

He _was_ hungry, Sanji reasoned with himself. But he then reached out and snatched some chips and a chocolate bar from Luffy, starting to protest as he dumped all but a bag of chips onto the tray Law ate from.

"Okay, thanks, go away, now," Sanji said, using a foot to push the kid away, Luffy stumbling against a couple of girls that were moving away from their lockers with books in their arms. "Stupid kid. Why is he harassing me like this?"

"I'm not complaining," Law mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"I'm going to class. Watch out, okay? I don't trust what Ichiji says. And let me handle Fullbody and Jango – I'll go have a talk with them after school so they're not harassing you," Sanji said with a huff, holding on the chips he held onto. His head snapped around once he caught sight of something off to their left, Law turning to see that it was the seniors in question. They were stumbling into the hall from outside, and once they caught sight of them, they made a beeline right towards them, Fullbody moving with some trouble.

" _Hitting_ from behind?" Fullbody snarled. "You think you're tough shit, Vinsmoke? No one touches me! It's not your business to get into mine, I was just playing with them!"

"Defending your little boyfriend? Hey, who's the girl, here? You or him?" Jango asked with a snicker, reaching out and patting Fullbody's back as kids noticed the confrontation.

Sanji made to stride towards them, Law quickly shifting his food to one arm and grabbing his sweater to sling an arm around his chest and shoulders to pull him back. "Not here," he said, kids watching with interest as he forced Sanji to walk with him.

"That's so cute!" Fullbody called out, following after them. "Rescue your little shit of a boyfriend, _walk away_. This school isn't that big, you two can't hide from what you did! I will administer justice for both of your actions!"

Sanji turned to yell back at him, but Law grabbed his arm, then his hand, pulling him away, looking for the teachers to hear Fullbody's voice and interfere. The pair stalked after them, pushing aside clueless kids in the hall to get to them, Law finally releasing his hand once they got too close. But before Fullbody could get close to Sanji, Niji was in Fullbody's face, Yonji behind him. Having both of them there caused Fullbody and Jango to back up hastily.

"What's up, Fullbody? What's got your manbun in a tizzle?" Niji asked Fullbody, just inches away from his face, causing the senior to pull back with a startled reaction. But Niji kept close to him, practically putting his chest on his, making it impossible for him to sidestep the kid. "You got a problem with my annoying little brother? What'd he do, now?"

"Get out of my face!"

"Technically, he's not in your face, but just a little on the outside, enough to share a bit of carbon dioxide with you," Yonji pointed out, his finger up.

"Looking to cause trouble, eh?" Niji asked Fullbody, grabbing a hold of his open sweater. "If it wasn't for a good reason, then it's unacceptable to threaten one of us."

"He hit me from behind! He hit me when I was already down, so I'm returning the fucking favor!"

"Knowing my womb mate for at least sixteen years, I can tell ya right now, it takes an action to get his reaction, so let's discuss the facts maturely."

"His _loverboy_ was causing us problems when he decided to interfere," Jango answered with a scowl.

"Technically, this is the same thing, as if you were threatening Sanji. You threaten him, you threaten _us_!" Niji snarled at him. But he took a moment to turn to the side, giving a faint retching sound before he steeled himself to be as threatening as possible.

"Good catch, bro," Yonji whispered. He cleared his throat to speak loudly enough for all those around them to hear. "So if anyone bothers either one of them from here on out, they're going to get it from the rest of us! Is that understood?"

All the kids watching the confrontation, including Sanji, looked shocked at this declaration.

"Let it be known here, right now," Ichiji added, standing at Law's side, reaching up to clasp one of his shoulders, "that anyone in this school that finds fit to bully my little brother, _this_ kid, and their relationship, will have to answer personally to us. It will not be tolerated. This includes seniors. What a shame it would be if this behavior found its way onto your school records, Fullbody. Aren't you applying towards a nationally recognized university with a large no-tolerance policy made famous in a recent Times article?"

Fullbody growled, reddening in the face. Law jerked his shoulder out from Ichiji's grasp, but now he understood why Sanji was so upset over the confrontation with his brothers.

"Get to class, you little shits," Crocodile complained nearby, glaring at all of them. "Save the drama for theater."

Niji shoved away from Fullbody with a smirk, Yonji flexing a bicep that had both seniors sneering back at them. Both brothers bumped into Sanji, pushing and shoving at him to get moving, lightly making fun of him for causing more trouble. Ichiji looked at Law.

"Welcome to the family," he said low, walking off while Law looked after him warily.

* * *

 **A/n** : Time seems like it's dragging by in this fic, but it actually isn't. Every chapter has at least a day's worth of drama to it, with the next continuing that very same evening's actions….I just noticed it, myself. XD

 **RR** : Ichiji definitely does, and he's executing it here in this chapter. Of course, if both of his brothers goes with the flow, their plan would succeed. D: But while Sanji is aware of their actions as being suspicious, it'll be up to him to think his way out of it.

 **DedicatedFan** : If only Sanji would let Luffy in haha! He's more apt to thinking Luffy has bad intentions than good after all the shit he's given him, so this is basically Luffy trying to coax a hurt animal to his hand, and he does it rather…roughly…haha! As for the other characters, they're all learning to speak up and out against the terrorists that had them caged for a very long time…Glad to have made your day!

 **Snowflake97** : Definitely the power of love :D Sanji is definitely wary of his brothers', and it shows, but he'll decide what he wants versus what's intimidating because he's just like that. And, yes…there's still a lot of angst coming up. ; ) I totally hear ya on that one! XD


	24. Chapter 24

**24**

* * *

After his counseling appointment Thursday afternoon, Law sat in Smoker's office, frowning at the paper bag Smoker once again set out on his desk. Smoker shook it a couple of times before setting it near him, and while it didn't make much noise, it signaled that whatever it was, was heavy and soft. Sitting in his desk chair, Smoker looked through his file, looking over last week's report with Law's appointed counselor.

"This says she feels confident that you're not a flight risk," Smoker said lightly, eyebrows lifted. "That's good to hear."

Law shrugged, picking at his slacks.

"Have you given thought to what you want to do?" Smoker asked, setting his file aside, folding his hands over his stomach as he leaned back in his chair.

After all the recent things that had happened so far, Law had to admit that his anxiety over staying with his parents wasn't as bad as it had been. He felt he had a backup plan with Doflamingo, and even if parts of himself felt jumpy at the thought of being the focus of his father's wrath – no matter if Lorenzo had not been the same man since that time – he acknowledged feeling a little braver facing it. After all, he had grown strong enough to help out those kids, withstand Sanji's rage fits, encounters with the Vinsmokes, and Doflamingo's temper; he was starting to see that he was able to withstand the storm. He wasn't that shaky little animal that automatically cringed at the thought of interaction, but someone that could lift his head to face it.

It still made him nervous to be around his parents, knowing that they'd be disappointed in him, in that he still couldn't speak much around them, but they were _trying_. Wasn't that the point of it? They'd heard him speak, they knew he was angry at them, they were willing to let him go if only to be able to talk to him from time to time. So things weren't as he'd imagined them to be months earlier; they were shifting because _he_ was changing.

He shoved his hands into his sweater pocket – where a note from Sanji this morning told him that ' _You are braver than you think – go for it_!' – and slouched low in his seat.

When he didn't answer, Smoker said, "They want to take you out for dinner on your birthday. Would you want that? Without a third wheel present, of course."

The thought of being alone with them made him nervous, still. He reasoned that making the choice of going with them for a couple of hours was much different than living with them. But perhaps it would help with his decision.

"That's fine," he said tightly, finding it difficult to believe that he was actually going to do this. Even after it left his mouth, his anxiety started to rise up. What if they kept pushing him to talk? What if his mind went blank? What if he couldn't say the appropriate thing? What if they kept trying to make him repeat himself when he was trying to say something – what if he couldn't say anything at all?

Smoker looked pleased. "Your choice, then. You can pick the place, I'm sure they'll be cool with it, even if it's fast food – "

"Baratie's."

Smoker frowned at him. "You can't let that kid talk for you."

Law shrugged.

"Besides, I think that place traumatized them – "

"Not like they hadn't done to me."

Smoker sighed, shifting his file from one spot to another. "Touché. But maybe you can talk to them a little, tell them what you're thinking. You going to stay, or go? You feel this, you feel that. Lay down some conditions, they want to hear everything. Good or negative. I feel that you've done amazing, so far. The fact that you haven't run away is just…well, it speaks volumes, kid."

"Nothing's been accomplished just yet," Law muttered. "They only know bits and pieces."

"Give 'em a little more, then, huh? Tell them about your likes and dislikes. Your favorite class, food. Why you refuse to eat bread – "

"Because Mrs. Higley only fed the three of us bread slices while her regular family ate like kings for nearly six months."

Smoker remembered that incident. He rustled through his papers with a clearing of his throat. "Sometimes, we don't always catch them, kid."

"And Mr Higley liked us boys better with our ribs showing, so – "

"Okay, _stop_ – "

"You said to tell them stuff! This is 'stuff'," Law snapped at him. "This is the _stuff_ I went through because of them, so they can fucking _know_ it!"

Smoker sighed heavily, drawing out the exhale as he leaned back in his chair. Law glared at the paper bag, fingers forming fists in his sweater pockets. Once aware of the note, he clasped that within one sweaty hand, and thought about how angry Sanji was for him that day against Fullbody and Jango. How angry would he be if he learned just what exactly Law had been through? Or would Sanji turn away, having never understood that these things were real? Rich, sheltered kids like him wouldn't understand…but then again, they probably didn't understand that they were trapped in a cage themselves. After seeing what Sanji was going through – steadfastly denying it every bit of the way – Law's way of thinking that Sanji wouldn't 'get' him became a less clearer thought.

" _This_ is what they want back, they're going to have to accept it all," Law muttered.

"They love you, kid, they just – "

" _Don't fucking tell me they love me_!"

Smoker held his hands up in a surrendering gesture after Law grew red in the face, his shout seemingly eating up the silence in the office. Hina showed up to look in at them, eyebrows lifted.

"Hina senses displeasure," she said suspiciously. "Smoker, what fuckery are you up to?"

"Saying all the wrong things," Smoker explained while Law stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest, note still clasped in one hand. "I'm sorry, kid. You're absolutely right."

Hina gave him a thumbs up before moving on, and Smoker shifted in his seat. "Are you still fine with dinner?"

His quick explosion of anger fading away, Law considered the offer. He mumbled, "Only under those conditions I'd stated."

"It's fine that you're taking these small steps forward," Smoker told him. "At least they're steps. Even if you decide you don't want to reconnect with them, that's _okay_. You at least tried, and you can feel good about that as we set you up with other living situations. But speaking to them will help things along. So, once there, please try and talk a little. Right now, spilling out the negative experiences of your foster care is already something they're aware of. They were assured that the perpetrators you and the other kids named off have been penalized, and I'd given them the name of your advocate for any questions they might have in the process. Your CASA won't go into detail with them, but it's important to know what happened, so they know. It's only up to you if you want to ever talk about it."

Thinking about those experiences made him think that it was just another mark against him. He was not that innocent young boy anymore. If his parents knew what these cases were about – out of his hands, now, the advocate speaking on his behalf – he was sure they'd treat him differently.

"It doesn't make you a bad or unfit person because of it. Don't ever think that – "

"I don't want to hear it from you, right now."

Smoker gestured with his chin. "What's in your hand? Phone number?"

"No." Law straightened up in his chair, unfolding it to look it over. The ink was smeared because he had been clutching it so tightly, his sweat permeating the paper, but it was still legible. "My friend gives me positive notes to read."

"Your 'friend'?" Smoker repeated incredulously.

"I don't care, I like them."

Smoker was happy to hear that. "Not the kind that's going to talk you into doing something stupid, right? A good friend will motivate you to do better and do great things. A bad friend wants only to satisfy himself with easy riches. I'm sure you've learned that, by now."

"I'm not in jail, yet, right?"

"' _Yet'_ ," Smoker repeated, reaching out and touching the bag. "Let's hope you don't do anything to get there, because it'll be harder this time around for you to leave it at this age. You're almost an adult, kid."

Law frowned at the bag, closing up his note. He stuffed that into his pocket, then shook his head in regards to the gesture.

Smoker put the bag away, rising up from his chair. As he rose, he glanced at the clock on the wall. "Off we go, then. Back to school? No, home, looks like. I'll let your parents know your conditions, just let me know what night will work for you."

Friday morning, when everyone was involved with a new packet set to be due next week, Law turned in his seat. Sanji was busy growling at Niji for Niji's comments on something that had happened at home, so when he felt Law touch him to get his attention, he turned to him with a scowl.

"You work on Wednesdays?"

"Yeah," Sanji answered, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. When he caught sight of Law wincing at the action, he chuckled. "Stop judging me. I wash my hands constantly at work. Look, my hands are fucking chapped because of it."

"Um, so…I'll be there, then," Law said with some discomfort, looking at the near cracked dryness of Sanji's knuckles to indicate his multiple washings. "Next week."

"Oh? What time? I have this – " Sanji cut himself off to glare at Niji, who was currently complaining over an essay question, Zoro scowling at the volume of his voice. He and Koala ended up trading seats at Mr Hansen's direction, and it was impossible for him to get any sleep with Niji's loud voice, Sanji's complaints and Yonji yelling back at both of them. He wore a grumpy expression.

Sanji whispered, "Are you allergic to anything?"

"Maybe not pasta…"

"Chicken again?"

Since Sanji was offering, despite his discomfort to choose, Law shrugged. "Fish...?"

"I have this great fish and vegetable dish you _have_ to try, then!" Sanji said cheerily, perking up with the topic. "Are you familiar with harissa?"

"No."

"It'll be great! Are you having dinner with your parents again? I swear I'll be better behaved, this time," Sanji said hastily, looking nervous.

"Yes." Law wondered if he should tell him this was for his birthday coming up soon, then figured it didn't matter. It would come up eventually.

Sanji studied him for a few seconds, then reached out and squeezed his shoulder. He smiled at him brilliantly, choosing to keep his comments about the event to himself. It still bothered him that he had no idea what Law would decide, but since this event didn't seem as if it was destroying him from the inside, Sanji had to think positive.

"Smoker will be there?"

"…No."

Sanji looked at him with concern, trying to read his expression. But he nodded firmly. "If you feel like you need to get away, I'll be there."

"That's why I picked it," Law told him nervously, unsure if admitting that sort of thing was proper. But the reaction Sanji gave reassured him that it was okay – the kid beamed at him again, like he was given riches beyond his dreams.

"Ugh, Mr Hansen! These two assholes are flirting with each other in public! If it ain't straights making kissy faces, it's fags!" Niji complained loudly, Yonji turning in his chair to give Sanji a shocked expression. Sanji scowled at them both, reddening once attention was forced their way because of it. "I demand rights as an asexual!"

Yonji bellowed out a loud laugh. " _Yeah, right_! That's not what you were saying about Miss Nico!"

Sanji turned his scowl to his desk, filling in a line on the packet before he dropped his pen to focus on Law. "So…this is a good thing, right? You're…going to consider staying with them?"

"I don't know," Law told him, fiddling with the scars on the desktop.

"I hope that means you'll stay here, though," Sanji added nervously. "Like we talked about. _Make_ them move here. You _need_ to stay here, you need to tell them why."

"They said they would be willing, to, even I chose not to live with them."

"But that would mean you'd stay at Doflamingo's…?"

"He would be cool with it."

With the ambiance of the classroom, everyone either focused on their friends or the packet, with Niji occasionally complaining about his workload or Yonji's loud comments to those around him, he felt comfortable enough to not be heard by those closest to them. He picked at a scar that fell in line with the grain of the wood.

"I don't know, that guy scares me," Sanji admitted, leaning on his palm.

"As long as he needs someone for Rosinante, I don't mind."

"Yeah, but…what's going to happen when you're legal? Like, is he going to expect you to contribute to the house, somehow?" Sanji asked, thinking with worry of their kitchen, their bare cupboards.

"He can provide me with a job, but…I think it'll be…sketchy."

Sanji wasn't sure what 'sketchy' meant – on television, it was drug dealing, murder, chit-chats with dangerous persons in dark alleys. With his quiet, shadowish-nature, Sanji could picture Law as a drug dealer that could evade cops with ease. He reached over with his left hand to lightly scratch his fingertips over the length of Law's fingers. "And your parents? If they can provide better, it might be better if you just wound up with them for awhile."

"I don't know…it just depends on how long they'd want me," Law told him, opening his fingers to curl over his, enjoying the feel of them in his grasp.

"They do! It's not like you're a fucking demanding kid, like me, who wants everything! They're probably never going to know you're even there, because you'll skulk around the house like a mouse, and – just think of this! At least you'll have a roof, constant meals, and access to a goddamn nail clipper," Sanji added, grabbing his fingers and examining his nails with a critical eye. Law snatched his hand back.

"You're not cutting them again," he muttered.

"I just want you to be happy," Sanji then told him anxiously, fiddling with his pen while looking down at his packet. "You _are_ important, and it's important for you to know that."

Law had a hard time accepting that, but he was starting to accept that he was to Sanji. With how persistent and sincere he was, it was hard not to; the teen was wearing a troubled frown as he avoided Law's expression, which made Law wonder if he had something else on his mind. Maybe he was just as nervous as Law about the entire thing, maybe he was just abashed to continue his support in front of others, including his ever watchful brothers. Niji was still scowling at them from time to time, but he wasn't as bad as he was before. And Law looked at Sanji very closely every morning, to see if he were hiding injury of some type, sure that this lie the brothers were presenting was only a set-up. It was just too easy of them to be this way after fighting Sanji's choices from the very start.

"I don't know what I want," he mumbled, then.

"You want to stay here at this school, that's what you want," Sanji told him, but it was obvious that was what _he_ wanted. Law wanted to give him some assurance that both choices would mean that he would stay at Grandline, but he didn't want to lie. He didn't feel that Sanji deserved that. So he said nothing at all. Watching him, Sanji pushed his foot out to his, nudging his heel. It felt natural for Law to reach over and touch his knee, to clasp onto something that would keep from forming tense fists.

 _Things could work out_ , Law told himself. All he had to do was make the right choice.

: :

While their last period was clustered in the library for an upcoming project, Law seated himself at a table. He found a fresh piece of paper and stared at the lines there, half an ear on the teacher's lecture. While aware that this project was a large part of this semester's grade, he figured he'd look online for the assignment during a break and print it out. When his thoughts wandered towards the upcoming dinner with his parents, with Rosinante's recent moods over new medication, Law wanted to think of something positive, so he started thinking of Sanji, instead.

He liked the boy. He liked the support Sanji gave him, he liked his stubbornness, and he liked how ridiculous he could get. He didn't care if everyone knew about them, or if it were wrong. Sanji made him feel valued, and whatever it was that they had right now, he wanted it. But regarding how far it would go, or however long it lasted, that wasn't certain. All he knew was that every day was easier because of Sanji, and while they still met during lunch and sporadically between classes, it felt _good_ to be in his presence.

He looked up as someone sat down next to him, shuffling papers. He froze once he saw that it was Ichiji, who held what looked like childish drawings in both hands. Law wasn't sure what this was about, looking at the papers with distrust before looking at the eldest Vinsmoke brother.

"I noticed that both of you don't spend much time together," Ichiji said quietly. "And that's partly our fault – as quadruplets, we were born into this world together, and while we don't always get along, it's…unfathomable to be separated for too long of a time. We're so used to Sanji being there that when he started disappearing, it…made us a little anxious, so we became clingy. Now that we've come to peace with _this_ – "

"Bullshit," Law growled, looking to pull away when Ichiji said forcefully, "I brought these because I thought you'd be interested in it. After all, you guys like to exchange notes. These are Sanji's…when he was a kid, he had to sit on the sidelines while we were engrossed with our athletic practices, so he would fill notebook after notebook up with various things. Drawings, poems…goals."

Why they were being given to Law made no sense.

"Your birthday is coming up, right?" Ichiji asked, laying them down over his notebook. "I figured you'd want something to remember him by before you left him."

Law wondered what business Ichiji had in his student file, and what was in there. He supposed it was the usual record of schools he'd attended, the change of addresses, the different guardians, Smoker's presence. Ichiji expected him to leave. But now that he had a vague idea of what Ichiji was implying, he felt a little more sturdy standing up to him.

"With your speech impediment, it would make more sense if you'd applied for a general education degree and immediately found work in an area that doesn't require higher education to survive. If it would help, I have a list of warehouses and shops that don't require – "

"I don't need your fucking help."

Ichiji sighed. "Look, as it is, my brother's place in life has already been decided. Father has the four of us set for an education in justice, and without father's support, Sanji will not be able to go very far. He is counting on father's support to get him through life, and if you could see that – "

"We're high schoolers," Law interrupted him, "not adults planning for a future together."

"So, you acknowledge that this relationship will not survive for very long? Then why embark into it?" Ichiji asked, examining his nails. "You exposed something of him that he'd tried to hide from the rest of us, and you choose to abandon him with your 'fuck off' attitude. Of course this concerns me."

Law felt that sliver of pain hit him from inside, recalling his actions with Sanji's cellphone. Weeks ago, he had planned on running away without a look back; now he was stepping into waters he hadn't thought he would have if it hadn't been for Sanji. Troubled, Law felt his fingers curling into fists.

Observing his expression, Ichiji continued, "If he is only temporary in your world, then perhaps it's best to break it off sooner, than later."

It was sound advice; but Law wasn't going to do that. With how little he had, he wasn't about to let go of the things that made him feel positive when he had them; the only way he'd do so was when he was forced to leave them.

"No," he told Ichiji firmly, looking at his notebook.

Ichiji exhaled firmly, looking over to the cluster of kids that were going over the project's objectives with their teacher. After a few moments, he said, "Sanji has a kind heart. He hides it well. Once, when we were eight, we came across this rabbit in the road. It had been hit by a car. It was lying there, twitching, uttering panicked grunts, fitting of a dying rodent. We walked on, thinking nothing more of it, but later on that night, dad sent me to the garage to get something from the car. I heard that rabbit's grunts, and found that Sanji had stashed it in a box with towels, having bandaged what he could of it. The animal was going to die, that was given, but for him to try and save it? I knew dad would throw a fit if he found the thing there. So I took a shovel to it, then placed it under one of our rose bushes. Sanji must've buried it the next day, because it wasn't there when I checked on it, but the point of the story? I _will_ cover up my brother's mistakes, no matter how stupid they are."

Ichiji then rose from his chair and walked off, leaving those papers behind. With that story lingering, Law looked upset. He had no doubt Ichiji would do whatever it took to keep his family appearance pristine.

Law picked up the papers, noting that Sanji's handwriting hadn't changed that much. Childishly drawn guys in three piece suits and briefcases was his goal in fifth grade – 'to succeed like dad.' A poem detailed how he yearned for a trip to the ocean, and how a good job would allow him that. The last paper was written recently, a track plan for his future; graduate high school, attend college, succeed at his job to live comfortably. All it involved was hard work and dedication, and he'd added bullet points as to what 'dedication' meant to him.

Law was sure this was Ichiji's way of telling him that Sanji had a future, and he shouldn't interfere. But he wondered if big brother truly _knew_ what Sanji wanted – the way he spoke about cooking, the way his expression lit up just talking about his job, it wasn't the future that Ichiji thought Sanji desired. Surely, Ichiji was aware that Sanji didn't want to be roped into what their father expected of him.

He folded these papers together, slipped them into his notebook. After school, he headed over to Sanji's locker, standing to the side while Sanji hastily exchanged his texts. Once he noticed Law, though, he slowed down and grinned brightly.

"I have a note," he said, retrieving it from his bag and passing it over. Then pushed both hands over Law's, adding quickly, "Read it later."

Law noted his nervousness. He couldn't help but ask, "Is it a dirty note?"

Sanji exclaimed, " _NO_!"

Amused by his reaction, Law gave a slight smile. But he handed the papers Ichiji had given to him to Sanji, who took them with a bewildered look, recognizing them. He snatched them from Law's grasp, shoving them into his bag hurriedly.

"Your brother gave me those."

"Why would he do that?" Sanji asked, bewildered.

"He just wants to make sure you're…still on the right path, I guess."

Sanji frowned at the hall, which was still busy with students preparing to leave the building. "Don't listen to anything he says," he mumbled with discomfort, fiddling with his bag. "They're up to something."

"He expects that once the day comes, I'm gone," Law said, back against the lockers next to his.

"Is that day soon?" Sanji asked cautiously, looking at him with a frown.

"Hmm hmm. But…everything you said, it made me stop and think," Law admitted. "And that's why… I feel I can do this dinner."

Sanji shut his locker. "You'll still complete school through, right?"

"It wasn't in my plans at first, but now that I have options…"

"There's a lot of options for you!" Sanji declared, reaching for his hand and pulling him away from the lockers, leading the way outside. "Completing _this_ will give you another step ahead! Plus, how am I supposed to measure up to your brain if you're not here to challenge me? I told you, I need your influence, your work is truly the stuff I need to do better without having to adjust to Ichiji's alien measures."

"Just my brain?" Law asked once they were outside, the brilliance of the afternoon sun causing him to squint, the street busy with bus activity, with the sound of those leaving the student parking lot. Kids' voices rang out, filling the air, car horns emitting occasional blasts of sound. He had to get home to Rosinante, but since this situation felt more pressing, he retrieved his cigarettes and lit one, giving it to Sanji. Sanji inhaled nicotine with relief, Law sitting down against the wall as various students made their way from the school yard.

He wanted to ask how many animals Sanji had saved.

"So, what…like, can I ask what happened?" Sanji then asked, lowering the cigarette. "What made you run away in the first place?"

Law thought about answering that question; it had come up numerous times, but he never thought he'd actually talk about it with him. Sanji crouched in front of him, dashing ashes to the side. "You don't have to talk about it, I was just wondering. I can't imagine being in your position, and I'm just pushing for you to help repair these things, but I don't even know what happened in the first place…I could be pushing you to doing something that might be…well, like you said, unsafe."

Law studied him for a bit, then reached out with a foot to lightly push him off balance. "Don't you think about yourself, sometimes?" he asked.

"No, why? I swear my blood pressure stabilized once I stopped thinking so much of myself. The threat of having a heart attack this early isn't so bad," Sanji admitted lightly. He then looked the other boy over with a shy smile. "You're always on my mind, so…"

"Creepy kid."

Sanji chuckled, cigarette to his lips again as he straightened to stand. Law fiddled with his lighter before putting it back into his cigarette box, tucking that into his slacks pocket. Sanji then gave him the rest of the cigarette, moving around his legs to sit next to him.

"When is your birthday?" he asked, squinting against the sun as it managed to push through the leaves of trees nearby.

"Next week," Law answered vaguely. Cigarette at his lips, he mumbled, "Saturday."

With a troubled look, Sanji said, "Come to school. Come back to school, don't think about taking off."

"I have options. I can finish school. It's just a matter of…whether or not things work out," Law said slowly, flicking ashes to the side. "Even if it doesn't work out with Doflamingo or my parents, there's a program used for mature minors that will help me get out on my own, and allow me to be independent, or whatever, at the cost of their rules."

"Then do it. But don't drop out."

Law reflected on the view in front of them for a bit, before saying, "You really think that things will work out?"

"Well, not to get unrealistic, but it takes work," Sanji said, fiddling with his cast.

"If I don't mess it up. I keep doing that, so – "

"Stop thinking so negatively! Not everything you touch can be ruined. I mean, check me out! I'm practically fixed!" Sanji said cheerily, waving a hand over his head. Law looked at him doubtfully, because he was wearing a cast over a broken arm, a bruise from where he'd hit him, with a bad haircut. Sanji hit him with his elbow, grumbling as he rubbed his cast with that hand. "I know I became a different person after meeting you, so….so for that I'm happy about. I could still be the prick that was hounding you for corrections and such, so…but I now see that things are different, and they can be different, and what I wasn't able to have, I want it very much, now. I mean, it took a lot of work to get there, but…at least for you, right, it went in a good direction. You didn't have these options. You changed, too."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"You went from someone who refused to make eye contact or avoided interaction, to someone who willingly stepped up for some nerds, so don't say ' _I guess_ '…"

"I suppose you had a hand in it," Law admitted quietly, pulling at the cigarette.

"I want all the credit!" Sanji told him, making it a demand. He then leaned over and kissed him on the temple, brushing his hair aside to do so. As he did, he blew a raspberry against Law's head, causing the older kid to jerk away with a light laugh, pushing him away. "Cut your damn hair. I got it tangled up in my mouth."

"I got all your spit on me," Law complained, wiping his temple and cheek. As he pulled his hand away, he was aware that Sanji's face was still close to his, and he pulled the cigarette from his lips to respond to the prompt Sanji made with his mouth. Kissing him made him feel so much warmer inside, tingles of sensation curling at his stomach. Overexcited as he was, Sanji kissed him aggressively, and made it so that Law had to reach up and push him back a little just to ease up on the pressure of teeth against teeth. He cupped his face between his hands and demonstrated how it should be. Easing up on the pressure, Sanji followed his example, Law ending up chuckling again as it turned pleasant, simple, _wonderful_.

He didn't have the familiar feeling of unease, uncertainty or the feeling of being pressured into something he wasn't sure of. It felt natural and easy, and while he had the most experience between both of them, he didn't feel like it was a bad thing. _Smoker was right_ , he thought vaguely.

"I like you so much, smelly as you are," Sanji murmured, kissing him once more before pulling away. He then stood and walked away, and Law just sat there, feeling a little dizzy by what had just happened. He looked at his cigarette, finished it, then headed home.

* * *

 **A to the Z:** It would make for interesting fiction, wouldn't it? Just imagine having them on 'your' side when it comes down to it. ; ) The outside influence of their peers are still in the dark – they only see the surface of things, and not the inner, because neither guy will be open and talkative to them. (Sanji still thinking Luffy is weird for trying to be nice to him, and Law still ignoring those trying to talk to him)

 **RR** : I try! Lol I do try…now, if only Sanji's brothers were a little more supportive than faking it, and it'd be a good ending! But with high school dramatics, there's always going to be a little more than usual. Sanji ends up forgetting he's limited to only one arm, but that's not going to stop him. :D

 **DedicatedFan** : Law is starved, but now it might be a case of 'lovesickness' that helps him cope XD Well, that and other pressing issues. That fanart sounds scary if Disney's involved D:

 **Snowflake97** : Ichiji is making sure the entire school knows that they 'support' their brother- the show is very important. Sabo told him to do something, so he'll listen to Sabo rather than Ace XD Ace is still trying to keep himself out of it because it's none of his business, yet his nose is right in it, sometimes haha!

 **12tailedninja** - **demon** : Welcome! And thank you for your kind words! I remember getting bullied a lot in elementary school, but I ended up being friends with these same bullies years later; weird. Sanji's reasons for being an ass are hopefully clear, but as these two boys stick together, they learn together, to motivate each other (d'awwww!) Thanks for finding and commenting!

 **Sarge1130** : Sanji struggles to keep Luffy at a distance, but you really can't ditch the guy once his mind's made up! XD Just what Sanji needs, considering how no one really jumps in for his part, other than Law at key moments. He lacks support and friendship so he's basically learning how to let people in at the same time Law is. Law's changes are definitely noticeable – he would've walked away earlier, had he seen that scene, but he chose to step up because he's learning to have more confidence in himself. Both of them will have to keep their guard up with Ichiji's intentions – he's definitely showing parts of it here in this chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

**25**

* * *

Sitting on the couch that Sunday, Sanji and Yonji were engrossed in a series they'd started earlier that day, Yonji crunching noisily through a large vegetable tray and dip, Ichiji reading on the floor near the couch. Zeff had given him the day off, aware of his plans for Wednesday, so Sanji had reluctantly agreed to the break. Niji was taking a nap on the back porch, so when Judge left his study, the three of them were instantly aware of his mood.

"It seems that your mother has recovered from her surgery, and plans on moving back," he stated gruffly, his face reflecting his thoughts on that. Sanji looked up cheerfully, Yonji swallowing the last of his broccoli as he perked up.

"What surgery?" Ichiji asked curiously, sitting up. "She didn't mention that while speaking with us."

"Apparently, she was able to afford cosmetic surgery on _her income_ , and seems to have regained some self-confidence," Judge uttered with a sneer, sitting in his chair.

The brothers looked at each other with bewilderment, sure they hadn't noticed anything different about their mother's face with their last phone call. With a roll of his eyes, Judge snapped, "You think after having five kids, a woman's body automatically snaps back into shape? She was self-conscious about her loose, paunchy stomach after having all of you. Which led to her insecurity issues, which led to problems with us! Frankly, if a woman seeks to improve herself after having her husband's children, it's a cause for concern. They want validity and cosmetic improvement, which always leads to trouble in a marriage. She was never fine with me telling her she was 'fine'."

"Girls always want compliments, dad," Yonji said, lowering the tray to his lap. "I never heard you say nice things to her."

"She doesn't need nice things being said to her! The fact that I'd stayed married to her after she had all of you said enough of my devotion!"

"I never noticed that type of thing about mom," Ichiji muttered, furrowing his brow. "That sort of thing should not even matter. Why would she seek compliments about her looks after she had us?"

"She thought she was fat and ugly with all that loose skin, and though I bore with it, tolerated it, apparently, it wasn't enough for her," Judge said with a huff, smoothing out his slacks.

"'Tolerated' it," Sanji commented with a sneer. "No wonder she left you."

Judge fixed him with a stare.

"If someone is feeling bad about themselves, you shouldn't just 'tolerate it'. You should've made her feel pretty. You didn't. You were an ass."

" _Shut up_ , Sanji," Yonji told him, from the corner of his mouth.

"You were always criticizing her," Sanji continued, ignoring him. "Telling her to diet and all that. I remember you making fun of her in that white sundress she used to wear a lot, telling her to mix up her wardrobe. But she always felt pretty in it, and you made her feel like shit. So, whatever."

Ichiji looked up at his brother with an incredulous expression, then looked to Judge to see what he had to say. Both he and Yonji were surprised that Sanji would talk back to their father, rather than agree with him.

"If she now feels pretty because she had a little surgery to make herself feel that way, then it's not up to you to say anything bad about it," Sanji finished with a sniff, stealing a carrot from Yonji's tray.

"Listen to you, you little shit," Judge snapped. "What would you know about relationships?"

"Nothing, but I'm just saying – I see her side. Bad mouthing her because she now feels good about herself doesn't reflect good on you. You're just coming off as an ass."

"Coming from someone that looks the way you do, you don't know what happened between us to have her running away, like a child seeking validation from the public! That's what's wrong with women, nowadays. With social media being as it is, all women are suddenly insecure, seeking support from total strangers, rather than those close to them. Wanting to be judged nicely on their _looks_! It's not about looks in a relationship, it's about the security and commitment shared between two consenting adults. With that attitude, it's apparent you'll be the type to seek validation and attention, just like she did."

Sanji scoffed. "If I ever received a compliment in this house, I'd die from shock."

"If you were of any worth, maybe you would be complimented."

"Maybe if you made me _feel_ like I was worth anything, I would feel better about things."

"Get out of here, I'm already tired of your fucking attitude! Always with the running mouth and always wanting to make yourself look like a target of some type," Judge snapped at him, pointing out the back. With a huff, Sanji stood up from the couch, stealing a handful of carrots and walking out from the living room without another word. Yonji and Ichiji exchanged raised eyebrows, resettling back into their seats as Judge fumed. "That kid is his mother's child. I should've sent him to live with her so she could deal with the headache."

"So, mom had a tummy tuck? I don't see what that has to do with anything, considering that she's never paraded herself in anything inappropriate," Ichiji commented, picking up his book.

"She doesn't have to! She's a mother, and she's – she _was_ married, so I'm sure that along with this procedure, she'll be thinking she's hot stuff, and flirting with anything that moves," Judge grumbled. "That type of influence isn't good for you, boys. You'll be subjected to nameless strange men that'll try and influence you over me, and I'm not privy to that sort of competition. They'll look to misguide you, discourage you, because you will be intimidating to them."

"Will we get to see her and Reiju a lot more?" Yonji asked.

"With her mother's influence, I'm sure Reiju will think the same way as she does. Most likely, she's just as insecure and nasty as her mother. You'll do well to keep your own mind when it comes to the pair of them. Don't let them influence you in any other way. Stay your road."

"I'm certain they cannot be that influential," Ichiji said with a frown. "We've lacked any real bonding with them because of the different living situations. I'm certainly not that interested in any possibilities of letting their thinking interrupt my future motives."

"Good boy. I don't know if wasting any effort on keeping Sanji on the same track would be beneficial to any of you – it's clear that I'm just wasting my breath and energy on him."

"You're just giving up on him, dad?" Yonji asked with concern. "Because he was doing fine when we were on him all the time. Look, he's even got a job he hates. Plus, there's no more trouble about him and English, anymore."

"The way he talks back to me all the time has me reconsidering what influence I have on him," Judge complained. "I'm sick of him back talking me all the time, and he's constantly challenging all of you, putting unnecessary stress while all of you are focused on your sports activities. If he had a suitable hobby, I'm sure it would be fine if you all kept the pressure on him, but since he wants to waste his life on women's hobbies, I'm sure his mother would find him more appropriate to have."

"Will you make him go live with them?" Yonji asked with worry, Ichiji putting his book down to look up. "That's going to be weird, dad. It's already weird when he's not around."

"Why?" Judge asked, bewildered. "All of you fight constantly – just think of the peace we'd have if he weren't here."

"Yeah, we fight, but, like, we all grew up together and stuff, and if he's not here, like, what are we going to do?"

"You'll get over it as you get older, and realize the benefits of Sanji not bothering you," Judge said firmly, resettling back in his seat.

Yonji shrugged, still looking undecided about it while Ichiji frowned, unsure of what to think.

"Would mom even want him?" he asked curiously.

"Sola would take him if she had to. I'm sure she'll regret the procedure once she realizes how much of a problem he is," Judge said. "She would deserve all of that hassle after everything she's caused me. I'm positive he'll fit right in with that womanly environment."

"It'll be really quiet around here," Yonji muttered.

Judge looked at him with a puzzled frown, so Yonji hastily said, "I mean, because he's so noisy and disrupts us a lot, so not having that would be…weird."

"You'll be too busy to notice him missing," Judge assured him.

"She might even move into our district," Ichiji told Yonji. "So it won't be like we won't see him again. We'll see him at school."

"Do we still have to, you know, be _nice_ to him?" Yonji asked him tentatively, lifting his eyebrows repeatedly.

Ichiji shrugged, glancing at Judge. "These aren't set in stone, dad's just…planning. Besides, mom just spoke of it, right? It'll take time for her to pack up and move here. With Reiju attending college, I doubt she'll want to leave it. It might even be next year, after she's finished."

"That's right, Ichiji. But because of his attitude, I have been considering sending him in that direction," Judge added. "Maybe that'll influence her to stay where she is. Tell me, do you want your mother living nearby?"

"Well…yeah."

"It'd be a little more convenient," Ichiji said, sitting back up, placing a marker in his book to save his page.

" _Why_?" Judge demanded of both of them.

Niji barged in at that moment, wearing drool on his chin and crease marks from the patio pillows. "Why do you people think you can talk without me being present? What's this about mom coming back?"

"Would you like your mother living nearby?" Judge asked him.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind."

" _Why_?" Judge asked of all of them, outraged.

Squirming uncomfortably, Niji added, "Well, I mean, it doesn't matter to me…"

"I want to hang out with them. I miss sis," Yonji said with similar discomfort.

Ichiji shrugged.

Judge studied all of them with a heavy frown. "After everything I've done for all of you, you're ungrateful for my efforts? You'd all prefer your mommy?"

" _NO_!" Niji and Yonji said simultaneously while Ichiji answered, "It's not that we'd prefer her company over yours, it's just…seeing them in person would be okay. I'm sure they wouldn't have much influence on us, though, considering the weekly phone calls. That's the limit of our bond with them."

"You're going to make us, like, visit and live with them when they get here?" Niji asked.

"That's your own choice, but it should not interrupt your activities," Judge said gruffly, unhappy with their answers. "And if it looks like she's pressuring you into a route I don't approve of, I'm sure I'll speak with her about it."

"Are you going to make Sanji live with her?" Niji asked curiously. "Because he doesn't do anything, here."

"I am considering it, yes. He doesn't contribute much to this household, so I was considering Sola taking on his care. He seems more fitting for her household than ours."

"That's _bullshit_!" Sanji said, coming out from his hiding spot behind the counter in the kitchen, where he'd overheard most of it. "Yes, I get that you don't think a lot of me, but forcing me to live with her is just stupid on your part! Just because you can't handle me, or anything – you're talking about me like I'm some unwanted _thing_!"

"If you had shown half of the initiative your brothers have, living here - !" Judge started to say when Sanji flipped him off, then strode out from the kitchen, slamming the door on his way out. The other three looked at each other with mixed expressions as Judge sighed heavily, resettling in his seat.

"Should I go get him, dad?" Ichiji asked, rising to his feet.

"Let him go. He needs to cool his head. His short temper will cause more problems," Judge told him, looking at the television set. "What are you watching, here, Yonji?"

"Ah, 'F is for Family'," Yonji answered uncomfortably. "It's cool."

After hearing Frank Murphy mutter about doing 'what a man has to do,' Judge scoffed.

"It looks like drabble. Change it."

: :

Sanji walked over to the community park to sulk. He was angry at Judge for considering him 'worthless', and frustrated at his father for his continued insistence that Sanji contributed 'nothing' to their household. He was pretty sure he'd offered, many times, to cook. He took care of many of the chores that his brothers didn't do, and he often did as Judge told him. But for Judge to insist on Sanji's worthlessness made him feel ugly and bitter.

He took a seat at a table within the picnic area, glaring sullenly out at the man-made lake ahead of him. There were families at the play centers, and teenagers hanging out near the basketball park, so the area was lively. He watched kids run about, their parents watching them from benches nearby, then looked over to the basketball courts, squinting to see if he recognized anyone from his school. He then realized it didn't matter because he didn't have friends outside of his brothers, and Law. It occurred to him how lonely he felt at that moment, not having anyone to talk to.

He thought to make his way to Law's house, but that was blocks away, and he felt hesitant going there if Doflamingo was there. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be invited in after that scene at Cracker Barrel. Sullen, he sunk low on the bench and just watched the kids play. He wished he had his phone, but Judge still held onto it without any indication of returning it, so he felt even more isolated than before. He thought about the pros of moving to his mother's house, compared to staying here. But one thing that stood out was that if he chose to go, he would be leaving Law behind. With his mother planning on moving here, it would be convenient; he would have to talk to Sola about it.

He still felt angry that Judge disregarded him, though. After all these years of living up to his expectations and failing because he wasn't like the others, he felt fed up. He'd done his best to make his father happy, but Judge just wasn't giving him any inches to work with. After meeting Law and getting involved with his life, though, Sanji felt he found a purpose.

He picked at his cargo shorts, thinking that his brothers were happy with this turn of events. They would. They weren't exactly arguing against the idea, and they would agree to continue living with Judge because of the conveniences available to them, there. He wiped his face with his left hand, and glared at the cast on his right. He felt extremely lonely, unsure of what to do or where to go to from here. He did find himself wondering if this is what Law felt days after leaving his parents' home, and stopped feeling sorry for himself, then. It was easier thinking of another person.

He jerked with a startled noise when he heard a light clap on the table, and turned around with a scowl, sure that it was Ichiji. He brightened and stood up once he saw that it was Law, looking a little sweaty and disheveled, as if he'd been out in the sun for awhile. So Sanji's expression changed quickly as Law looked him over suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" they asked each other, Law digging his cigarettes out from his back pocket, glancing around himself warily.

"Ran away from home," Sanji answered quickly, gesturing at him as Law sat on the bench.

"Ran away from Smoker," Law muttered, lighting up. After exhaling smoke, Sanji worried about the comment, Law added, "I had an appointment, today. And…my parents wanted to…talk about it, and I didn't want to. So I left."

Sanji slowly sat next to him, taking the cigarette Law offered. "Talk about what?"

"What are you doing here?" Law asked without answering him.

"Dad just told us that mom's moving back here. But he started talking a lot of shit about me, and her, and just – I didn't want to hear it, anymore," Sanji said with frustration. "He tells me I'm worthless and I don't contribute to anything, and I'm just like my mom, and he was saying all sorts of shitty things about her, and - ! Like, I'm used to it? But when he started saying he'd rather ship me over to her than let her move here, I just…got mad. I can't say anything without him always cutting down on me."

Law watched the kids play at the playground for a few moments, then gave a light sound. "Your father's stupid."

"He is! I don't get why he's so against me," Sanji complained, giving him the cigarette back. He ran his fingers through his hair, clenching strands there while resting his elbows on his knees. "He's so fucking frustrating, I hate that he doesn't even give me a chance to prove my worth! He won't let me cook, he won't let me be me – he praises the others for their shit, but I don't remember anything good he's ever said to or about me!"

"Maybe it'll be okay if you went to your mom's," Law said gently, dashing ashes away.

"I don't want to, because that would mean I have to leave everything I know, and _you_ , and mom and Reiju doesn't even know me," Sanji said with frustration. "I don't want to do that! I don't care if she moves here, and I can move in with her, because that would mean I could stay here and still be close to you – "

"Your well-being is more important than being here with me," Law told him.

"I feel well if I'm with you! Do you even want me here?" Sanji asked him incredulously.

Law shrugged, wiping sweat from his forehead, pulling at his shirt. "I think it's more important to me that you're fine, than staying in a house full of people that enjoys cutting you down."

"The only time I feel fine if I'm around you! That's the _only_ time I feel fine!"

"Don't get angry at me," Law told him, as Sanji stood up rigidly, glaring at him. "I'm talking of having a similar experience, Sanji."

"My situation isn't shitty like yours!"

"Your brothers broke your arm!"

"That's not the same thing!"

"Look," Law told him, flicking ashes onto the pavement below. "All I'm saying is that, for the entirety of the situation, your father obviously doesn't care for you. Your mother does. As for mine, I don't even know where I'll end up. I don't want you continuing to put yourself into danger just for someone like me."

Sanji stared at him in silence, fists clenched at his sides. "So, what you're saying is, you don't care what happens to me."

"I'm saying that the best thing for you is for you to find support where you can," Law said uncomfortably. "And sometimes, that's not easy to find…nearby. There's nothing I can do to help you, Sanji. I'm not in a stable position, myself."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, then looked away with an upset expression. Without saying anything else, he stalked away from the picnic area, Law looking after him with a frown. He flicked the cigarette aside and strode after him.

Sanji heard him, so he snapped over his shoulder, "Don't fucking follow me!"

" _Stop_!" Law ordered, catching up to him and grabbing his arm. "Stop. I don't know what you want me to say. All I know is that I can't do anything for you, I don't know what you're looking for me to say!"

"All I want is _support_ \- !"

"And I'm giving it! I'm telling you, your situation will not get any better! There is nothing for you here! If you can find it from your mother, then go there!"

"Don't you even _want_ me here? That's what I'm asking!" Sanji snapped, jerking his arm away from him.

Looking terribly uncomfortable, fisting his hands at his sides, Law said forcefully, "I do, but if the situation isn't good for either of us, then I would encourage you to find a place that's better suited – "

" _That's not what I want to hear_!"

"It might not be, but it's necessary! I'm not going to lie, or promise you something that can't be fulfilled."

Feeling the rushing sensation of an incoming panic attack, Sanji sought to breathe normally, but his lungs felt like they were too tight, and there was too much oxygen, and it was building up strongly within his chest, rendering his face and neck red. His fists clenched, and his jaw tightened, his entire body going rigid. He turned stiffly to get away, aware that people were looking in their direction with concern, so he forced himself to run. He heard Law shouting after him, but he didn't want to listen to him; not when a persistent ringing made it difficult to hear anything, when he couldn't breathe in deep enough, or get someplace small and dark to shut out the overwhelming world around him. Running over the lawn, he headed away from the park, not really thinking about anything else. He ran out into the street, vaguely aware of a car slamming to a stop to avoiding hitting him.

He just needed to get _away_ – away from his father, from his brothers, Law, from the pressures around him, and find a place that would actually welcome him, that would want him around. He stumbled at a stoplight, leaning against the pole, trying to catch his breath. Looking around, he realized that he was near Baratie's, so he headed in that direction. Gasping for breath, he headed to the back alley, wiping away all the moisture on his face. He pushed the door in, breathing in heavily of the kitchen smells, the sights and sound of the kitchen nearby showing him that the cooks were hard at work. A couple of them glanced at him as he searched for Zeff, flicking his shirt away from his overheated skin while he walked through a short corridor to the main dining room, looking for the older man.

He turned to return to the kitchen when Zeff intercepted him from the swinging door nearby, and promptly steered him to his office.

"Let me work today!" Sanji demanded of him, still struggling to breathe, wiping his face again. It was an effort to speak, so every work was forced forward with tremendous effort, rendering his voice uneven. "I want to work. I have nothing to do at home."

"What's the matter with you?" Zeff asked him, shutting the door behind him. "What's with all the leaking?"

"It's hot. I ran all the way here."

"You're so hot that your eyeballs are sweating, too?" Zeff asked him, snatching a towel from his coat pocket and tossing it to him.

Sanji wiped his face with it, smearing what felt like butter, crumbs over his cheeks. "I want to work, today," he said, gulping for air.

"Not in this state," Zeff told him, sitting at the edge of his desk. "What happened to you?"

" _Nothing_. Everything sucks. _Everyone_ sucks. I _hate_ everyone, and I just want to work. I just need to get away from it," Sanji exclaimed, wiping his face again. "I hate my shitty dad, I hate my shitty brothers, my shitty friend – I hate all of them!"

"That's a lot of shit for a Sunday afternoon," Zeff said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. "This is supposed to be your day off."

"Well, it sucks. I want to work. _Zeff_."

"Not in this state. You're too upset. What happened?"

"Not like you care. No one does. Just let me work in the kitchen. I'll be fine once I start working."

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't fucking ask. What did your dad do?"

Sanji wiped his nose, aware that his hiccups were making it difficult to breathe. His face felt as if it were under pressure, pushing at his skin from deep below, forcing fluids to leak from him. He used the towel to wipe his face again, seeing that his hands were shaking. He felt as if he had gotten too much sun, and he sought the chair behind Zeff's desk to sit, feeling light-headed. Zeff watched him with concern, frowning heavily. He left his seat, walking out of the office and shutting the door behind him.

Sanji covered his face with the towel, thinking how unfair it was that he'd given Law his entire support and the older kid had refused to give his. All because he didn't know what he'd be doing, where he'd be. All he wanted to hear from Law was that he was _wanted_ – that wasn't hard to say.

Zeff returned with a paper bag and another towel, this one warm. Sanji took the paper bag, and quickly unfolded it, using it to breathe. Zeff sat at the edge of the desk to watch him, saying nothing. After using it for a few moments, Sanji felt a little more clear headed.

"Wipe your face, brat," Zeff then told him, holding the towel out. "Now, what happened? Carnie mentioned something about a boyfriend?"

" _NO_! My dad's being a jerk. He's saying all these shitty things, about shipping me away to my mom's because he thinks I'm worthless. I'm not! I can contribute if he'd let me, but he doesn't let me!" Sanji lowered the paper bag and used the towel to wipe his face. He spoke between hiccups, frustrated that his entire body was still shaking from the panic attack. "And my stupid friend doesn't get that all I want for him to say is that he wants me here, and everything will be fine, but he keeps telling me that he can't help me, so he won't tell me that."

"Sometimes, it's best to be honest. Maybe it's better that you aren't with your father."

"Mom doesn't get me, either! No one wants me around!"

"I don't know enough of your personal life to make judgment, kid, but I can tell ya one thing – as old as I am, I know it takes awhile to get sorted out," Zeff told him. "You're at an age where everything's a big deal – "

"It _is_ a big deal, because - !"

"But if ya ain't finding any satisfaction to what you got, then maybe it's time to change that attitude," Zeff interrupted him firmly. "You're seeking support and approval from those closest to you, and you clearly ain't getting it. _Stop_ looking for it. If it's not coming easily, then there's no point losing a lung over it. It's time to look at the world in another way."

Sanji sniffled. "I don't know how."

"And that's why you're a mess. You're trying very hard to make a diamond out of a piece of coal from your father's ass, and I can tell you right now, it's a wasted effort. That man will never change. He's too old and too set in his ways, and I suggest you stop trying. If he wants to push you off to your mom, let him. Maybe a change in scenery will do you some good."

"I don't see my mom very much – she doesn't know me."

"Then let her learn. Give it a couple of years, then you're old enough to wander off on your own. You've got job experience, now, I can make good recommendations. You can do this if you can't make it here."

"My friend – "

"If it's that one that's come here before, he ain't going anywhere, either. Why are you relying on another kid to make your decisions, for you? Both of you are too young and from different areas in life to even connect in the middle for very long," Zeff told him sternly. "He ain't going to make any good decisions, either, if he's already seen the dark side of the road for too long. Let him make his own choices. If you feel he ain't supporting you, then there's no point wasting effort on him, either."

"That's easy for you to say, you - !"

"I'm _old_ , I've already been there!" Zeff snapped over him. "I lived that foolish life. You want my advice, you have it. You still aren't going out there, like this. You wanna be useful? Clear off my desk, straighten up these shelves. Alphabetize all those recipes into those binders there, make it nice and neat. Then you go home at 6, regardless if your father wants you there, or not. He says some shit to you, ignore him. Let him make the decision for you. At your age, you don't have a choice in the matter. Start over somewhere else if you have to."

Huffing, Sanji glared at him as he then left his seat and left the office. He then turned his glare to the desk, finding piles of invoices, receipts, print-outs stacked at the edges, the drawers stuffed with similar stacks. He was upset over the entire day, but Zeff's words made sense. He went to work sorting out the piles of paper on the desk, setting them into clear piles. Zeff popped in every now and then to make a phone call, argue with him over some dishes he had on the menu, and complain about his smoking habits, spraying Lysol in his direction to disguise the stench of the cigarette Sanji had.

But the work was welcome, and by the time six p.m. rolled around, Sanji straightened up what he could and left Baratie's. He headed home, thinking about what he was going to do once he got there. He felt hurt over Law's refusal to give him the words he wanted, but Zeff had made sense, so the bite didn't feel as bad as it had hours earlier. He resigned himself to being sent to his mother's place based on his father's words and left it at that.

Maybe his mother would allow him to be him. Maybe he could start over as he'd dreamed he could when college came around, and maybe he could pursue the things he wanted, instead of following his father's rule. He would only have his sister to fight with, and Reiju really wasn't as bad as their brothers. He had no friends at the school he felt bad leaving behind, and if Law really wasn't sure what he was going to do, then Sanji couldn't support him anymore than he did. What they had was beautiful for the moment, but in the end, they were still just _kids_ , living under the rules of adults around them.

Once he arrived home, Yonji was still on the couch, Ichiji and Niji were in the kitchen, and Judge was speaking with a friend in his office.

"Where'd you go?" Yonji asked him curiously.

"Played with kids at the park," Sanji told him, hurrying up to his room. He shut and locked his door, flopping onto his bed. He picked at his duvet, and looked around his room. He wouldn't miss it. Maybe after he left, Judge could take over Niji's room, expand the bathroom out. It would work out for them.

He left his bed and opened up his laptop. He surfed the internet for awhile, looking up his mother's house to see what was located in the area. The high school was merged with a middle school, but they promised home economic classes and plenty of after school clubs. He could start over – become the person he wanted to be, not this one. He wouldn't have to prove anything to his father, or constantly fight with his brothers, and maybe he would find someone else that wanted him. He fiddled with his hair, hoping it grew out before his father sent him anywhere.

The knock on his door made him scowl. " _What_."

"Why is your door locked?" Ichiji asked crankily, trying the knob.

"If you want to talk to me, slip me twenty bucks."

"I can talk outside the door. Where were you?"

"Selling myself outside that restaurant downtown, the one with all those rich guys? I have enough to take me to mom's by myself."

Sanji could _hear_ Ichiji's eyes rolling. He pictured his older brother crossing his arms over his chest, looking impatiently at the door. "Are you still mad about this afternoon?" Ichiji asked on a bored tone.

"Yes."

"I went looking for you," Ichiji said, and Sanji wondered if he wanted a medal for it. "But that man living there wasn't very cooperative. Said both of you were missing. Said if you knew where that boy was, to send him home."

Sanji remembered that Law had told him he'd run away from Smoker, during an appointment. He did feel concern arise in him, if Law had returned home, yet. Despite his current predicament, he did want to know what happened. If he ran away from their appointment, what did that mean for the rest of this week?

"I didn't see him," he said quietly. "I went to the park."

"Let me in," Sanji heard Niji's voice against the wood, coming from a much lower point than Ichiji's.

"God, go _away_ , Niji!"

"Dad wants us to make sure you're not attempting suicide in his house," Niji told him, wiggling his fingers underneath the door. "Are you?"

"NO!"

"Yonji called for pizza, so dad wants you to come down and eat with us," Ichiji then said crankily over Niji's reply.

"I'm not hungry, I already ate," Sanji said, thinking of the sampler dish Zeff had brought him, both of them sharing it. His brothers kept talking, but he reached into his desk and drew out his headphones. Plugging them into his laptop, he searched for something to watch, and took the entire device to his bed. Making himself comfortable there, he immersed himself into a movie, ignoring the pounding at his door, thinking that if he just stuck to himself, he would be fine. Not allowing them to agitate him any further than they had was just part of the process. Like Zeff said, he had no control over what his father decided, so Sanji figured it was best that he helped him along with the process.

: :

At school the next morning, Law approached him before he could walk into the classroom, Niji sneering at both of them as he and Yonji walked in. Because it looked like Law hadn't spent the night out on the streets, his hair still wet, Sanji reluctantly lingered in the hall to hear him out, adjusting his messenger bag as Law stood against the wall to allow kids to walk around them.

"You're right," Sanji told him first, clutching the strap of his bag while looking to the side. "I guess I was asking too much of you."

"I feel like I have to apologize," Law said, fiddling with the worn top handle of his backpack, which looked faded and small in his hand. He smelled different today, Sanji noticed. Clean, with a faint hint of some manly remnants of some time of freshener. "I didn't have anything reassuring to say, so – "

"I was set straight, yesterday," Sanji interrupted slowly, picking at his cast, "and I realize that I can't please everyone, and there's no point trying. It might be better for me to just…go away, give mom's a chance."

"It's not that I want to say all these negative things, but your situation, it's all stacked against you," Law told him. "I know you're angry with me, but – "

"Oh, _now_ you care about my feelings? _Now_ you care what I think?" Sanji asked bitterly. He couldn't help but shoot out his words with accusatory action, speaking faster than normal. "Don't go accusing me of giving up on you, because you clearly didn't even care in the first place. You're just like them, always giving me shit and shitting on my feelings and -"

"I don't know what to do or say that'll be right for the situation – " Law grabbed him and forced him back against the wall when Sanji made to walk away, the action causing a couple of students to look over with concern. Sanji looked at him with surprise as Law's fingers tightened on his arm. "But don't tell me I don't care. I am where I am because of you, I told you that."

" _I don't feel like_ \- !"

"If I were in a better place, I would be more supportive. I don't want to lie to you with things you _want_ to hear, and then have it fucked up when things get fucked up. That would be more damaging to you." When the bell rang, Law kept Sanji pinned there, the teen looking up at him with a heavy frown. Law was holding onto him as if he were going to lose him, his fingers so tight around his arm that Sanji felt uncomfortable. "If I told you I wanted you to stay, you would continue living in that situation. Why would you want to endure that?"

"If I know I'm wanted, I can - !"

"I don't even know what's going to happen to me!"

"Then figure it out!" Sanji snapped at him. "If it's truly _that_ alone, then make up your damn fucking mind!"

Law's fingers tightened, making him wince a little. "You can't ask that of me when you know what I'm going through!"

Frustrated because he was right, Sanji wasn't sure what to say.

"I can only give you the truth, I can't lie to make it any better when I know it's not!" Law told him forcefully. "Your situation is a lot like mine, that's why I identify with you, I'm only telling you what to expect, and you're so fucking stubborn, you're unwilling to see that."

"I don't even know what happened to you, I can't say that this is all the same, but – "

"Then we'll talk after class. Okay?" Law shifted his hands to his face, to make him look at him, the last bell ringing noisily overhead. "You'll listen to me, right?"

Sanji nodded after a few moments, only to speed up their entrance into class so that Mr Hansen wouldn't mark them 'tardy'. He stiffened up as Law leaned into him to hug him, his skinny arms awkwardly hung around him. But what mattered to Sanji was that it was a hug, and he felt himself wilt into it because he wanted that caring touch so badly. Niji peered around the corner at that moment, blue bang peeking out first.

"Mr Hansen! These guys are making out in the hall!" he hollered unnecessarily, both of them pushing away from each other, making their way into the room. As he followed them to the back, he said to Yonji, "There's something good brewing."

"Why are you _watching_ them, weirdo?" Yonji asked, throwing Skittles into his mouth, holding a waterbottle in one hand. "Mr Hansen, Niji's a voyeur spying on his own brother!"

Mr Hansen waved to indicate he heard, reaching for his water bottle with a sigh.

* * *

A/N: It feels like I hadn't updated in forever, but at the same time, I sense the missing pieces to the ending of this story.

 **RR** : Actually, the answer to what's in the bag will be coming up soon! This will be a busy week for this pair D: Law definitely wasn't thinking about possible expulsion from school, but the Vinsmoke's declaration later put to rest that situation, for now. As for Baby and Buffalo, their appearance would be different (but involved with Law, considering their positions) and Law doesn't give name to the other kids because, as he'd stated, they were all 'temporary'. After this chapter – and yet to be revealed disastrous run away from an appointment – things will change for him.

 **DedicatedFan** : Ichiji's creepy older brother status is confirmed! Ha ha, yes, and Sanji doesn't speak of the animals he'd attempted to save because he has no reason to reveal that. But Law knows of it, now, realizing that Sanji's compassion had been beaten to hidden depths because of his brother(s) actions. That's an interesting question! They do have admirers, followers, but to keep characters to a minimum here, it's not fully explored. They definitely don't act differently when alone, though, because their absurdly high confidence levels prevent them from behaving meekly and quietly. Law is definitely getting braver – this upcoming week will show that.

 **Sarge1130** : Law is getting braver, and the results of his running away from the appointment he'd had with his parents and Smoker are to be revealed in next chapter. He isn't an innocent child anymore, but he's still a vulnerable kid that needs care and positive influence, and his parents are trying their hardest to prove that they can provide this if he can give them a chance. Healing is intensely difficult, considering their situations, but Law isn't the same kid that was introduced earlier in the story. Ichiji is insulting Law every bit of the way because he knows he can – he sees how Law is changing, and he's doing his best to discourage it. He's yet to get his very worse D: Family dinner is coming up soon!

 **Snowflake97** : Sanji is doing his best, but is he receiving the same type of support? He's struggling to find it, because he clearly lacks it, and while Law tries, he's just too jaded to give Sanji what he _wants_ to hear. As they're both just kids, their experiences are so different from each other's, and while they share similarities, each of them cannot give as they would want to because of obstacles. They're doing their best, through. D:


	26. Chapter 26

**26**

* * *

Leaving class, Sanji said, "After yesterday, will Wednesday still be a thing?"

"Yes," Law told him, shrugging on his backpack, leading the way outside. As kids milled about, they walked over to the baseball field, sitting against the backstop. Someone had posted signs with a warning to pick up their cigarette butts, or suffer consequences. The font and border suggested it was from the office.

"What'd you do?"

After giving a hard sigh, Law fiddled with his fingernails for a moment before answering, "We had our meeting over there by Dairy Queen…"

Sanji knew that was only a few blocks from the park, picturing the ice cream shop at the corner of an intersection.

"…and they're aware that some stuff happened, and wanted to talk about it," Law mumbled, wearing a discomforted expression. He looked away from him, feeling anxious about sharing this part of himself with the other boy. But at this point, he felt he could get through to Sanji this way if he heard his story. At the same time, he was nervous Sanji would judge him differently. He was worried Sanji would disregard it, conditioned as he was for thinking this type of life was 'normal'.

Sanji noticed his hesitation, the stiffening of his shoulders. In a demanding tone, he ordered, "Sit down."

"No, I'm too jittery – "

"Because if you run away from this, I will scream so shrilly that I don't care if I sound like a girl. Everyone will look at us and I will continue chasing you until they call the police," Sanji threatened him, and Law could picture him doing it. He debated on testing Sanji on it, though, before he removed his backpack and set it down beside him, sitting up against the heavy wooden planks of the backstop while Sanji sat in front of him on his knees, pulling Law's feet on either side of him before slouching with his hands atop of his thighs.

Vaguely amused by the position he was in, Law focused on his fingernails to avoid looking at that intense glare Sanji wore as he waited for him to continue. It took a few moments to reset himself after settling.

"I don't want to talk about some things at their command, so I chose to leave," Law said.

"Did you tell them you don't want to talk about it?" Sanji pressed.

"No," Law admitted. "Like, I knew from Smoker that they were aware of things, but to be confronted about it – not _confronted_ , but asked – I didn't like it."

"If they're working on things, then just fucking say so. Don't run!"

"It was overwhelming, Sanji. And don't be a hypocrite."

Sanji huffed, reddening a little as he scratched his ear. "I had a panic attack, and I ran because you make fun of me for showing so much."

Law gave a remorseful frown. "I did. I apologize. But this particular subject, I don't want to talk about it with them. Not when I haven't even opened up to them."

Sanji turned his sight to trace over the laces of Law's right shoe, muttering, "I guess there's a lot that you've got going on inside, huh?"

Law nodded after a few moments. "A lot of those things made me what I am."

"I can't imagine what you've gone through, but things like that don't define you as who you are, you know."

"Same with you," Law told him, looking at his fingernails.

"Whoever told you that lie doesn't know me well enough to say that."

"Your older brother thinks differently."

Sanji looked at him sharply, frowning. Then he gave a lift of his chin. "Stop talking about me. Tell me what you brought me out here, for."

Seeing Law struggle to build up the confidence needed to speak, Sanji waited patiently, pulling nervously at his left arm sweater sleeve; he noticed that both of them had the habit of needing their hands occupied, as they both possessed a sort of nervous energy that caused Law's hands to clench, and his to grasp _something_.

"I told you about my sister," Law mumbled, reaching up unconsciously to fiddle with his earrings. Sanji's eyes strayed to the thin pieces of jewelry there, trying to imagine a sibling that looked similar to the older kid in front of him. "She was really young when she…there – was an…inoperable brain tumor, and…passed."

"Yes."

"So….after that, my parents just…fell apart. They just…turned into these…two diff…changed people, and just – like they didn't – like they forgot there were two of us. Neither of them were – both blamed themselves, and each other, and the system for failing Lamie, and – "

"That was her name? Lamie?" Sanji repeated, reaching out and touching his shin, clasping the limb with his left hand.

Law exhaled heavily. "Yes. Lamie. Ssshe – wasted away, so it – when she passed, it was almost like…like a relief."

Sanji nodded to acknowledge this.

"Like I said, they forgot there was – like I didn't exist for them. Like you, I tried my best at getting good grades, and – but, nothing I did was right. Their grief was…bigger than mine, I guess. Being compared to her after her death – it felt like I didn't have a chance. Can't – you can't measure up to a dead person. No matter what, and, everything – it was frustrating. I spoke with this stupid impairment, anyway – and it was harder and harder to speak because – he would get so mad that I couldn't speak prop– so I just _stopped_ , and – "

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I wouldn't have been so pushy," Sanji whispered with some trouble, finding it difficult to swallow. He understood exactly what Law had gone through, quite aware of his own efforts to at least be acknowledged.

Taking a deep breath, Law then said, "So I started staying out. I didn't want to go home, anymore. That didn't make them happy, either. Lorenzo – my…he'd just get - just start yelling as soon as I came in, and – Lainy, she wouldn't even…she just let him do whatever. I felt sick all the time. And nothing – I couldn't concentrate on anything. So my grades just…flopped. Cue in more yelling. So…I stayed at the park longer. Wandered around town. I spent the night in slides, a couple of times.

"I came home one night, he was right in my face, shouting at me that it should've been me, that I was extremely selfish for trying to get 'attention', and I hit him. He flipped out. Lainy didn't even try to stop him. I left for good. I had the marks for the police to file a report. The system, it's…not _good_ all the time. Because I hit him, and refused to talk – he only spent a night in jail. But they removed me. I was in foster care for six months while they went through the court process for his actions. They wouldn't even look at me. So I felt…like that was it. They didn't want me, so I didn't want them."

It was somehow easier speaking of it after he started. The difficulty of remembering these things had made his mouth dry and his tongue heavy, but instead of the familiar hurt and anger he'd felt every time he thought about it, he just felt resignation. This had happened, it was part of his past – the pain would never go away, but it had faded enough to leave him with anger, uncertainty and general distrust. So as he continued to speak, his words left him with an impassive tone, and his stuttering lessened. The end of break bell had rung a few minutes earlier, but they hadn't moved from their spot.

"The first couple of homes were fine, but because I didn't open up, neither family could warm up to me. I probably went through six homes before I hit thirteen. That's when things grew more difficult. So…I kept leaving places. I got into trouble…spent some time in juvie. It took four homes until I got to Doflamingo's. I ran away from him, too. For all those reasons that you think. But after getting to know Rosinante…I didn't feel like running, anymore. He needed me, and I needed that."

Law paused to dig out his cigarettes. After lighting one up, he offered one to Sanji, but he was intensely focused on his knees, his hand still gripping his shin.

"When these two started coming around, I'd leave because I didn't want to talk to them. They began trying harder recently. That's why I was…why it was hard warming up to the idea."

"But…you did," Sanji said low. He still hadn't looked up. " _Why_?"

Law shrugged a shoulder. He fiddled with his cigarette, ran a fingertip over the ashes that had already fallen. "I'm conflicted on that one."

After a hard exhale, Sanji adjusted his sitting position to sit carefully, still between Law's feet. His eyes were noticeably red, and he was struggling to swallow. "I don't know what to say, Law."

Exhaling, Law said, "This is why I keep telling you, yours won't improve."

"And I keep telling you, it's different – "

"How is it _different_?"

"Because I'm different! Okay?"

"I knew kids like you, who can express themselves like you. I knew of two of them that were killed because of it."

Sanji wiped his face. He did feel the embarrassing urge to shed tears, unable to imagine that sort of life Law had lived, but he knew if he did, he felt it wouldn't send the right message. Law wasn't telling his story to earn his pity – he was sharing this so that Sanji would know why he pushed, why he felt the way he did with Sanji's situation.

Law picked at the edges of a band-aid that was visible just at the hem of his sleeve. Rosinante had stabbed him with his fork the night before, angry about the quality of his dinner; they had to use powdered eggs, Doflamingo promising to provide 'real' eggs Thursday, when his deposit hit. Rosinante's ever changing mood swings had turned more tumultuous after the introduction of new medication, and his stress over Law's possible leave.

"What should I do?" Sanji asked quietly.

"Stop being a mean fuck."

Sanji rolled his eyes, scowling to the left of him. "There's no way I – "

Because of the way Sanji sat between his legs, Law drew his knees together, bumping him with them. "Those kids are trying to get through to you, you know. All that ass kissing is an invitation."

"But that won't solve my home situation. Unless I just go to my mom's."

Sanji sighed heavily, leaning his forehead against Law's left knee. He reached out to hug that leg, mainly to support his own weight, so Law tensed it. "If I had known that story beforehand, I would've encouraged you to not do it."

"Well, it – "

"But after seeing them that day, Law, they look as if they desperately want to fix things," Sanji continued firmly, turning his head to look at him, still resting it on his knee. "I didn't know that they were – _them_ – at first, because they just looked…scared. And those things – all those things you've been through between then and now – your dad can't hurt you, anymore. Harsh as it might sound, but you've been through worse since that night – "

"It's _because_ of him that this is so, Sanji."

"And you can be angry at him for it. You don't have to forgive them for any of that. _They_ won't be able to. But…after all the crap _I_ pulled, you got to know me."

Law stared at him in contemplative silence for a few moments, before reaching out to run his fingers through Sanji's hair.

"I don't think you can trust Doflamingo," Sanji said quietly. "As close as you want to be with Rosinante, whatever it is he has planned for you, I don't think you should do it."

"If I go with my parents, and it doesn't work out, I can either go back to him, be homeless, or take the offer Smoker gave in exploring the independent living thing, but everyone I've known that has tried that option has never been successful with it."

"Why?"

"Those that used it felt like they were set up to fail. They want you to find a job, some of which…isn't available because of the school they failed, so they don't have a degree, and none can come up with the payments necessary to match what little funding comes to them – "

"Then that's even more reason for you to stay with them, _finish_ ," Sanji stressed, lifting his head. "Even if you feel you can't ever repair what happened, use them. Treat them like a – a foster family, and just use them until you can get a degree, until you can get a job and get out. They're going to give you a home – "

"I feel like if I do," Law mumbled, "I'll start to think that it'll be okay, and start to relax, and then something will happen – "

"And when it does, at least you'll be prepared! You'll think of something different, you'll be ready! But most of all, at least you _tried_ , Law! That way, in the future, you won't find yourself wondering what _could've_ happened when it's too late," Sanji said. He turned his attention to Law's knee, scratching at the near threadbare patch with his right hand, momentarily entranced by the change of color as he did so. "At the end of the day, like you've said, you aren't that kid anymore. You can defend yourself, and it'll be okay to do so. You can do this, climb out of this shithole by getting your diploma and - you're so smart, I hate you for that, but you can go far even with your speech problems. _Make_ those two pay for speech therapy. _Use_ them, damn it. Milk them for all they're worth financially, they're freaking _doctors_. You don't have to like, love them? You don't have to do any of that, just…be there to take those things to use for yourself just to get out of this."

Sanji's words were easy to take in, reaching Law in a different way than Smoker's. Maybe because this kid shared so much with him, understood him, encouraged him differently with the pressure to use two people for his own advantage; allowing Law to feel it was acceptable to stick with distance from two people he had once loved. While Smoker was just a man that had seen too many stories to truly understand a kid's plight, pushing him to allow his parents in with the same sort of bond that they had before Lamie's death, it was a stretch for Law to imagine at this point.

"Trust your gut, shit head," Sanji then said with a sigh, pushing away from his leg. "Let's go to class."

Law put the butt of his cigarette into his pocket to throw away later, then took his hand when Sanji extended it to help him up. Once he was on his feet, he pulled his backpack on while Sanji adjusted his bag around him. After a moment's hesitation, Law then reached out and wrapped his arms around him, feeling uncomfortably overwhelmed with the strong feelings that swamped him.

With a heavy tone, he said, "Which is why I keep telling you to move out of there."

With a surly frown, Sanji replied, "I guess I'll figure it out when it comes."

Even as he'd expected him to say something like that, Law couldn't help but think of Ichiji's story, wondering how many animals Sanji had attempted to save before his family took the chance away from him. He figured, as an injured animal himself, he would just have to rescue himself to save his rescuer.

"Hey, you crazy kids," Ace said, strolling over from the concession stand with a bottle of Gatorade in hand. "I swear, both of you skip more classes than I do. I thought I heard voices over here, so I thought I'd come over and check it out."

Despite the startled move Sanji made to turn and yell at him in reaction, Law held onto him tightly, feeling the teen struggle to get loose.

"We spoke about this," he mumbled over Sanji's head, feeling him stiffen up with a low growl. He could feel the heat of Sanji's temperature in reaction to Law's words, and his self-consciousness to Law's hold on him. He could feel Sanji struggle within himself to _somehow_ be cordial.

Once Ace saw that Sanji wasn't going to snap or bite at him in any way, he visibly perked up. He showed no care to the clingy way Law held onto him as Sanji turned from him to face Ace, bright red in the face with his efforts to 'be nice'.

"We….we were just headed to class," Sanji managed to eke out, struggling to stave off his automatic reaction to snarl at him. " _Talking_ , we were just – talking."

"Guess you gotta do it when you can, eh?" Ace said amicably. "Makes sense."

"It's hard finding any _privacy_ around here."

"You're never going to get it at a public high school, where everyone knows your business," Ace said skeptically. "Why don't you guys just hang out after school?"

" _Ah_ ," he then said, as Sanji's face shifted with a scowl, "with three other brothers, it's probably hard to do. No matter how many times I try and ditch those two, either one of them ends up finding me. Brothers can be clingy, right?"

Before Sanji could answer, Law mumbled, "He works, too."

"Hey, what do you do?" Ace asked, brightening again. " _Please_ say you work fast food! I want some freebies!"

"Baratie's," Sanji answered slowly.

"That place where all the old people eat? Is it expensive?"

"No."

"You'll give us a discount if we come in?"

"Stop being cheap - !" Sanji started to snap when Law's arms tightened around his neck, and he gave a choking sound before he corrected himself forcefully. " _Yes_!"

"Ha ha! Sounds like a date!" Ace said cheerfully. He recognized that Law was in the same position Sabo often took to make either him or Luffy behave in a polite manner, Sanji being forced to 'be nice', and it was cool with him. "Sabo can pay for it, he has the most money out of all of us, all the time. Our business alone is like a night's worth of customers! Hey, I'll tell the others, and we'll drop by. That old man might fit right in over there."

"So _great_ ," Sanji eked out with effort, struggling to repress the snide comments that built up at the thought of serving those three boys and Garp at a table.

"So, Garp had those old buzzards put up a steel curtain to the concession stand, so I have to find a new place to nap," Ace complained lightly. "Finding a good place to do that is hell around here. Luffy claimed space in the gym equipment room, and Sabo figured out how to sleep on the toilet in the bathroom, and since I'm not that talented, I thought I could sleep in the car, but Garp checks there, too. So if you guys find a good spot, let me know. But now I heard they're talkin' about patrolling this place, too, so you guys ruined it blackening your lungs. See those signs?"

"Yep," Sanji answered, wondering how these D boys could sleep so much.

"They don't check the lab equipment room on the second floor," Law said. "That clown complains because it's too small for him."

Ace brightened, heading back towards the building. "I never thought of that! I'll go stake the place out! Thanks, man!"

Sanji watched him go with a cranky expression. He managed to pull out from the weight of Law's arms around him, pushing the older kid away from him so he could breathe. "Jerk…why is he constantly spying on us? What is he, a perv? Not that we're doing anything _wrong_ , but - ! He's always around, overhearing us!"

Law exhaled heavily. Hard as it was speaking to someone else, Ace had made it easy for them both, considering his easy-going nature. They made their way into the building just in time to hear his name being broadcasted from the school's intercom system, informing him he was needed in the front office. He sighed again.

"It's Smoker," he said with resignation.

Sanji looked back up at him. "Go fix it, and don't fuck it up. I'm going to class."

Relieved because Sanji was not treating him any differently, Law leaned down and kissed him.

Once at the office, he saw both Ichiji and Smoker glaring at him, but he wasn't feeling any shred of regret for his actions. To Smoker, he gave shrug and a slight smile, of which Smoker took with a hard scowl.

"Playing with another student's attendance doesn't reflect well on you," Ichiji told Law crankily. "He was doing fine until you came around."

"Put down the shovel," Law retorted, Smoker leading the way out the office as Ichiji scowled at him.

"Goading that kid isn't the smartest thing in your position to do," Smoker snapped at him as they walked out into the sun. "And what the hell happened to you?"

"They were being invasive."

"So you think running off was the right thing to do? All you had to do was say something! They're panicked, both of them are driving around the whole fucking town looking for you!" Smoker growled, withdrawing his phone from his back pants pocket. "What made it worse was that Doflamingo didn't even know where you were."

"Obviously, I didn't want to be found. So I didn't go back until I knew you were off the clock."

After sending a text message, Smoker then found his cigarettes, standing underneath the No Smoking sign. He lit one up, looking Law over with a suspicious squint. His phone chirped noisily, one right after another, so he put it into silent mode.

"You're in a good mood," he then said gruffly.

Law slid his hands into his pockets. "I'll see them Wednesday, anyway."

"You're still going to go through with it?"

Law nodding, looking over the worn toe cap of his shoe.

"Will you be running off then, too?"

Law looked back at the school, hearing the light sound of kids' laughter as they walked near the front office. Then frowned at Smoker, not answering.

With a hard exhalation, Smoker crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him. "You have a lot of potential, kid. It would be a shame if you threw it away. Living on the streets when you could be doing so much more would just be…look, give it a chance. Give _them_ a chance. You can do better, go far if you'd just live with them until you finished school. Get that diploma – I can help find you a job. Stop doing this with your attendance record – I agree with that kid, stop fucking around in school. Dragging him along with you isn't doing him any better, either."

"I care about your opinion."

"That sarcasm keeps my hair white. Thank you for that. I'll have you know, all the hipsters shell out hundreds of dollars for this type of cosmetic shit, but I just have you to thank for it."

"No problem."

"In all seriousness, kid, I'm glad to see that you're here," Smoker then said. "They've already said they would be willing to move to the area so you can still attend this school. It's not like you don't have options, but I hope you choose the right one."

After a few moments of watching some birds hop about on the grass, chirping noisily, Law mumbled, "I want to stay here."

"I don't trust that Doflamingo, just so you know. So I hope he isn't part of it."

"When Saturday comes, you no longer have an opinion."

"You're so prickly, kid, it kills me. It'll take a while to remove those quills. Stop fucking up with your classes. Stay in class. Where do you want them to get you, Wednesday?"

At the rush of nervousness that hit him, thinking of that night, his thoughts a mess, Law wasn't sure what he was asking until a moment later.

"I'll wait for them by that grocery store at the corner. Near the Redbox."

Not showing any signs of convincing, Smoker studied him. He couldn't tell what Law was thinking, nor could he make any sure judgment on the difference he could see. He refused to be positive, already conditioned to the kid's track record of running from anything that seemed overwhelming. Because there was nothing more he could do, he had only to rely on Law's word. After Saturday, he had no more influence over him.

He nodded.

* * *

 **RR** : That's right! (as long as it isn't menthol XD)

 **Reincarnation15** : Welcome! That's a pretty big chance you took on this story, considering the main characters – it's awesome that you gave it a gamble! ASL will keep making their appearances throughout the story (as Ace did here), and the Strawhats individually, but as it's focused on these two and their families, they'll stay at the edges. Adding to that, Sanji will do his best to be 'friendly', ha ha!


	27. Chapter 27

**27**

* * *

When Wednesday evening came around, Law's stomach was in knots. He had been quiet most of the day, thinking over the things he'd say and do, rehearsing sentences with silent mouthing, and finding himself pulled into try-out conversations with Sanji, as he'd done his best to help him prepare. While he couldn't agree to staying through the entire meal, couldn't agree that it would all work out, the fact that he was steeling himself up to even go through with it said enough.

Through it all, he couldn't help but think of that rabbit Ichiji had mentioned in his story, lying in a box with towels, quaking with fear and pain in a garage.

He'd left a sullen Rosinante with and equally pensive Doflamingo, and walked the few blocks necessary to the grocery store he'd told Smoker of. He glanced at the rows of cars in the parking lot, sure he'd catch sight of his worker in the area. But while he didn't know the vehicle that Smoker owned personally, he had a feeling the man was watching and waiting to see if he'd actually show up.

The Redbox was located towards the ice machine, and Law waited there, leaning against the wall, listening to people come and go. He kept his attention focused on the scarred and dirty sidewalk, finding it difficult to look up and make eye contact with anyone walking nearby. His stomach gurgled noisily, anticipating dinner – he hadn't been able to eat much leading up to this evening, and the more Sanji talked about the dish he'd planned for Law, the more resolved Law was to eating it, no matter what happened. He struggled to settle himself, drawing out a cigarette as he stood there. His hand was shaking, but he told himself he would not be alone in this – Sanji was waiting for him. Even if the dinner proved difficult, Sanji would be there to make it better in that demanding way of his. He'd promised Law that he'd be on his best behavior.

The evening hours were cooling slightly, and he'd changed into a simple tee and jeans without holes in them. He stared at his worn shoes, fisting one hand into one pocket and fiddling with the cigarette with the other. He was halfway through it when he heard the approach of a vehicle nearby, and saw the sedan that he'd seen his parents use the first meeting. Both of them looked visibly strained to see him smoking, but he carefully put out the ember and re-inserted the cigarette back into the box, shoving it into his sock before taking a few moments to gather some courage to get into the car.

Exhaling, thinking about the rabbit again, he took the steps necessary to get to the car, climbing into the back seat. It struck him with some nostalgia how the smell of the vehicle reminded him of the Ford Escape they'd owned before Lamie passed away.

"Hi, Law," Lainy said with a careful smile, turning in her seat to look back at him. Her expression struggled to remain upbeat, but was lingering with worry. "Thank you for allowing us to take you out, tonight. We'd been looking forward to it."

Law wasn't sure how to answer her, so he focused out the window instead. That familiar pressure began with the weight of his tongue, and panic caused his veins to seize. For a moment, he thought about leaving the vehicle before Lorenzo could pull away. He could taste the lingering smoke of his cigarette against his teeth, feeling the effects of it in his chest. Before he could think to reach for the handle, Lorenzo was pulling the vehicle away from the sidewalk, and the movement of the car seemed to resign him in that he was going to do this. But he pictured all the traffic lights in between the grocery store and Baratie's, and felt better knowing he could still leave if he wanted, to.

Until he looked forward at the dash, and with the setup of the vehicle's dash, he could see the yellow light that indicated that the Child Locks had been activated. Vaguely, he wondered if this was done under Smoker's suggestion. Despite his rising panic, Law found himself amused by this. That killed the possibility of him leaving the vehicle once they were stopped.

The dead silence in the vehicle between humans was too strong. It seemed fitting for his stomach to once again remind him how hungry he was, interrupting the quiet. Lorenzo cleared his throat.

"Ah, we want to apologize for Sunday," he said slowly, with immense discomfort. "It wasn't our place to…to ask…about those types of things."

"We're sorry," Lainy parroted weakly, having faced forward, her hands on her lap.

"That…that will come with time," Lorenzo finished faintly.

"How was school?" Lainy then asked, her voice unnaturally loud. "Smoker mentioned that you're attending a very active high school, and said that you've been very busy."

 _School was easier_ , Law had to admit, thinking about how things had changed considerably since he started attending. But that would require too much talking, and he had yet to pull his tongue away from his teeth. His jaw was tightly clenched, and when he realized it, his hands were fisted atop of his lap. He held himself so tightly, so coiled, that when Lorenzo hit the brakes suddenly to make a stoplight, he was nearly rattled right out of the seat.

Law considered the seatbelt he'd neglected to pull on, despite it being just another tether, Lainy looking at Lorenzo sharply.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, Lorenzo sputtering.

"I didn't notice!"

"How could you not know the light was coming up? It's right there!"

"I know it was there, I just wasn't thinking about it."

"Do you want me to drive?"

"No, no…"

Hearing them speak to each other with the familiarity of impatience and given embarrassment of a slight traffic problem made Law remember these same sort of things back when he and Lamie were seated in the back. Lorenzo had a heavy foot, and often stopped suddenly if startled, causing Lainy to snap at him with irritation.

' _Gosh, dad, are you_ trying _to kill us_?' Lamie had often complained, righting herself in her seat.

' _Yeah, dad, go back to driving school_ ,' Law would say, struggling to unlock his seatbelt.

Those memories didn't feel much like his, because it had been so long since he'd seen them. They had a dreamlike quality to them, given with the sensation of a movie he'd once seen, but couldn't quite remember all the way through. He couldn't help but look over to the side that Lamie always took – behind the driver's seat, so she had a full view of Lainy in the passenger seat. Panic started to rise up in him again, and he could feel his entire body stiffening up with reaction. Shifting in his seat, he reached into his pocket and found the note Sanji had left for him after school. Opening it, he re-read it quickly, vaguely registering Lorenzo saying something to him.

'They can't hurt you,' it said, underlined three times.

 _It was true_ , he told himself, quite aware of his size compared to the view he had as a child. He took up a considerable amount of the seat, his legs stretched to the back of Lainy's. He was pretty sure he was near height of Lorenzo, if not taller. He refolded the paper and slipped it back into his pocket.

Once he realized there was an air of expectation in the vehicle, he tried to remember what it was that was being said.

"No," he then answered, recalling that Lorenzo had asked him if he were experiencing any problems at school. Not that he would go into any detail at this moment, but he said it because the word was easy to give.

"Will…will your friend be there tonight?" Lainy asked tentatively.

"Yes." Law once again looked out the window. It took some effort to add, "He said he'd be good."

"After the last time, I did a little research on who Judge Vinsmoke is," Lorenzo said, a little hastily. "He's, uh…a very…successful divorce attorney."

"His ex-wife, Sola, was a lovely woman," Lainy added. "I remember her. She was often at the center over there on Worthington, the one across from the dental offices? She used to work there as an advocate until she had her boys. With so many children at once, it made sense that she left her job."

Since Sanji never spoke much of his mother, Law wasn't sure what to think.

"They're fraternal, right, Law?" Lorenzo then asked, looking in the rearview mirror at him. "I remember one being absurdly larger than the others, and one with a very smarty attitude. Like I'd mentioned before, I wasn't familiar with your friend. He doesn't participate in any sports?"

Law shook his head in response.

"Sola no longer lives in the city?" Lainy asked Law, once again turning in her seat to address him.

Law remembered Sanji said that she lived out of state, so he shook his head again.

"She was nice," Lainy said, almost wistfully as she repositioned herself on her seat.

"All of them are very…vocal," Lorenzo added with an uncertain tone, unsure of how not to offend Law with his wording. "I guess it would make sense that she would have to leave the city, considering his position."

"You even think about speaking with Mr Vinsmoke personally, and I will make sure no one finds your body," Lainy told him cheerfully.

Once Baratie's was in sight, Lorenzo replied with a vague, "Ah…right, right…"

Law felt like a stranger, listening to them. He felt out of place. Though he was seated in a familiar place in a moving car with his parents, there were too many years lost between them, and too many changes made for him to feel comfortable. Sanji was right – it was almost as if he were placed into yet another foster family, and the foster parents were doing their best to make him comfortable to fall into their orbit.

The restaurant was busy with the evening rush, but Sanji had made sure to reserve a table for them – situated catty corner to the rest of the dining room, with a conveniently placed Exit door in sight. Law took the chair closest to it, Lorenzo looking at him with apprehension, aware of the escape route, but unable to do a thing about it without being obvious. Zeff stood nearby, watching them take their seats.

"You're back again," he said gruffly, reaching out to grab Sanji by the apron as the teen made to fiddle unnecessarily with the table settings. "Just the three of you?"

"Just us," Lainy said nervously, looking up at the imposing man.

"Are we needing a kids' menu? Crayons? Coloring books?"

"Old man, does any one of them look like a kid?" Sanji snapped at him impatiently. Then he cleared his throat, distributing menus. "Anyway, any quick requests for drinks? The soda machine was fixed. Or, uh, just…pick from the menu."

"I'll have the same as last time, thank you," Lainy said, opening up the menu, noticing that Law wasn't looking at his. She could hear his stomach growling again, and it killed her inside just how hungry he was.

"The specials tonight are accompanied with a choice of soup, or chips and your choice of dip," Zeff said, seeing Sanji approach Law, with something he pulled out of his apron pocket. Seeing that it was a couple of thick strips of meat tucked into a napkin, from a meal he'd made and served just moments earlier made Zeff redden with displeasure. But he watched as the hungry kid took one, and chewed with an amazed expression that made Sanji light up with delight. The other one Law chewed on much slowly, clearly appreciating the flavors that stood out.

"Appetizers?" Sanji then asked the pair, holding his cup tray at his side, reaching out and adjusting the centerpiece a little to the left, then snatching it up, Zeff frowning at him for doing so. "They made some sampler dishes that are pretty good."

"That won't be necessary. The servings here are quite large to allow for extra," Lorenzo commented, intensely focused on his options.

"Okay, well…I'll be back in a bit," Sanji said, giving another look in Law's direction before he and Zeff walked off, the older man snatching the centerpiece from him and resetting it onto another table, the diners there startled at the introduction of the object.

"You're not going to look for a meal, Law?" Lainy asked with concern, noting that Sanji hadn't even given him one.

It would be a simple thing to say that Sanji had already arranged to make his, but Law couldn't quite get the words out. Once the younger boy left, Law had felt that steady rise of pressure building in his throat, and all those things he'd practiced to say throughout the day were suddenly whirling together into a confusing jumble of useless noise.

Frustration mounted in him, so he looked out at the dining area in an effort to stave this panic, to somehow clear his thoughts to present a clearer picture.

Lainy put her menu down, having made a decision. She stared sadly at the boy across the table from her, unable to picture the child he'd been when everything fell apart. She was now faced with the troubling presentation of someone that had lived too hard, with such thin edges that he was a stranger. Though he carried many physical similarities of his father, malnourishment and stress took away the imitations of Lorenzo's features. She did not miss seeing the band-aid on his arm, the slight crook of his nose, the obvious stand-outs of a person that did not allow themselves any sort of self-care. It intensely troubled her that, in the hands of strangers, no one had taken care of her child while they were away.

She blamed herself, but she also blamed the foster care system for not providing _enough_.

Lorenzo lowered his menu, set it aside, and caught her staring. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Law," he said slowly, reaching out to pull the folded napkin from his place settings, to clutch it tightly underneath the table. "Please…talk to us. I know you have…so much going on inside of you, and that this must have been difficult for you to agree to, but…no matter what it is, we'd like to hear it."

Law felt his brow furrow, and intense frustration and anger warmed up inside of him. Of course he did, but he knew he would screw it up – verbalizing himself to these two people was so much more different than expressing himself to Sanji. Because of all the pressure and hurt he'd experienced at their impatience years ago, these remembered feelings made it impossible to just open up and speak.

'Put everything out front so that they know what they're dealing with,' Sanji had told him, looking at a list he'd constructed during first period. Law had been amused that it was so detailed. 'Make them feel shame and guilt for their failures. Makes it easier when you hit 'em in the balls, first. Then, if they react appropriately, or don't care, then that's what makes your next decision.'

'What happens if they don't?' Law had asked, digging for his red pen, and crossing out several lines to veto those options, much to Sanji's dismay.

'Then it'll be easier for you because you already know what that feels to – like, not have a foster parent care about you. You already know how that feels, so it'll be easier to be indifferent,' Sanji had told him, jerking his pen out of his grasp. 'Then you won't feel so hurt.'

That made sense to Law. 'And if they do…?'

'The easier to manipulate, because then they'll feel so guilty that they'll kiss your ass from here to Tuesday trying to please you,' Sanji said cheerfully, looking for his white-out roller.

"You - asked Sunday about Mr and Mrs Kingsley?" Law said, looking at Lorenzo with an unblinking expression. "About…how I _feel_ about them - in jail?"

Lorenzo looked discomforted, adjusting his glasses. "I just know that their crimes were – "

"Mr Kingsley liked fffondling young boys, and I was his type because I couldn't say 'no'. And Mrs Kingsley liked us - begging…fffor food, so it doesn't quite - make me feel the sssatisfaction that you - might think," Law told him, Lainy's face paling significantly as some of her worst fears were answered. Speaking of these things was incredibly distressing, and it caused him to stutter with difficulty as he struggled to speak clearly, quite aware that his emotions made it difficult to enunciate everything he tried to say. But he pushed through it, because it was important that they know. "As for the others? I chose to consent for needed material items, because I needed them, and – maybe I thought it felt good. My tally count … is s-ssix men, 7 guys my age, four girls, and - probably my favorite experience was th- a middle aged man who let me – "

" _Stop_!" Lainy cried, Lorenzo so rigid that he jumped noticeably when she hit the table, rattling the table's contents.

" _No! Listen to what I have to say_!" Law shouted back at her, diners looking over with concern. Once Lainy struggled to compose herself, visibly struggling not to cry, Law continued. "Not all - were like that, though. Some liked to m-make fun of the way I – my s-sspeech, which made it – couldn't, _clearly_ , speak up – ssssoooo, it made it - _easier_ for those – when, t-that liked the quiet ones. So when I fell - found into a crowd sim- _like_ me, it was easy to agree on an elderly couple whose house had too many electronics, and a small, legal mmmarijuana crop for her cancer. Unfffortunate things hap–pend, and so juvie prov-was…interesting, as well."

" _Law_ ," Lorenzo attempted to interject when Law forcefully spoke over him, nearly red-faced with the effort to speak. "Because - there's m-more predators groomed there than you would think. S-sseeing _kids_ commit crimes-to - on kids showed me that there really isn't a _sssafe_ place - outside of a - home. I had always thought…? That night, and everything else leading up to Lamie's death was fffri- _scary_ , and – it wasn't. So if you feel - _comfortable_ having sssomeone like me in your home, then, by all means, keep 'trying'."

After a few moments, considerably traumatized, Lorenzo looked at Lainy. Despite his expression, he said sharply, "Honey, remember your mantra."

"Because that - _always_ works," Law commented. "Taking the word – of some counselor over – the – presentation before you, makes it less painful fffor you."

Sanji returned with their drinks, and the tension there made him cringe a little. But he set the tray down and distributed them carefully onto the table. Before he could ask if they were ready to order, he heard a loud shout from across the restaurant. All of them looked over to see Luffy waving at them wildly.

"Oh, _fuck_ me," Sanji complained, reddening as he watched the host lead the D boys and their grandfather to a table in his section.

"Hi, Sanji! Hi, Law!" Luffy said, nearly stumbling over a diner's chair on the way over, Sabo grabbing him quickly with apologies to the startled woman. "Hey, was Ace right about that discount?"

"Shit, everything looks good, here!" Ace exclaimed, looking at the plates from all the tables he'd passed, visibly drooling.

Garp reached over and knocked him upside the head with embarrassment, Zeff on his way over. "If those brats are like you, you old bastard, I'm going to be pissed!"

" _Zeff_! Ha ha! Did you remove yourself from your grave yourself, or did the archaeologists?" Garp exclaimed noisily, herding Luffy and Ace towards the table indicated. "They should've left you there, with that face!"

Sanji returned his attention to the table, visibly flustered. "Food? Want?"

Lainy and Lorenzo were trying to recover to speak, and because their reaction was so noticeably troubled, more focused on the question with fumbled reaches for the menu to remember what it was they intended on ordering, Sanji then looked to Law. Seeing his extremely uncomfortable state gave Sanji nervous relief. He'd heard him shout earlier, and after he wrote hastily on his pad of paper, Law looked at him once he felt Sanji kick him to get his attention.

After he read, 'I'm proud of you', Law found it easier to put his thoughts back together. Getting those troubling things out of him had been extremely difficult, but he found it satisfying seeing his parents' reaction. He _wanted_ them to hurt, he wanted them shocked, because their actions had put him into this situation. As far as he was concerned, both of them were the catalyst to what he was, today, so they should feel these things in response.

After Lorenzo ended up ordering for both of them, Lainy visibly struggling to keep herself together, Sanji glanced at Law again, hesitating on leaving right away. Seeing his concern to his well-being gave Law some strength to stay and continue his assault. His hand trembled slightly as he lifted his fingers to show that he was okay. Sanji gave an encouraging smile and nod.

"I'll get this to the kitchen, and your food will be right out," Sanji then said, looking over their drinks, seeing that they were untouched. As he walked off, Garp shouted after him, "Hey Vinsmoke, why the hell didn't you say anything about this place?"

"I don't have any of your classes!"

"Why didn't you tell _me_?" Luffy whined, looking after Sanji with betrayal. Zeff kicked Garp's chair, snapping at him to 'be a good example', Garp having to catch himself quickly. "Why tell Ace? _We're_ supposed to be friends!"

"Stop yelling at my workers and sit down!" Zeff roared over their voices, diners cringing all around them. " _Garp_! Their bad manners are definitely all your responsibility!"

"How dare you question my parenting?" Garp complained, leaning over and looking at a diner's plate as a server brought it out. "Where's the menu, you old fart? We're starving, we brought our appetites! To start, bring out all the appetizers you have, and don't be stingy."

Sabo looked mortified at the attention his table was bringing as the result of all these shouts, apologizing to those closest to him.

The brief respite from speaking had given Law the break he needed to start over. He swallowed tightly, centering his gaze onto the table, to concentrate on speaking slowly and clearly. "I find it absurd that you think coming into my life after you both ruined it would fix anything."

Lorenzo was rigid as he continued clutching the napkin he held under the table. Lainy closed her eyes as she bowed her head.

"Our mistakes will never be forgiven, we understand that, Law," Lorenzo said quietly. "This is something we will carry for the rest of our lives. To know that…our reaction to Lamie's death, the stress and grief we experienced as the result of the – entire six months it took to take her away…took you out of our hands…destroyed our family…none of it is something we can ever forget, or forgive. But…we were hopeful to…fix what we could so we could, at least, have somewhat of a relationship with you. At first, we were dreaming of a time where we could reunite and work past that horrible time…but as you kept avoiding us, it was apparent that we would no longer have that. So we resolved ourselves to only fixing the bridge enough to at least…be there, if…and when you need us."

Law's upper lip curled. "So, you resigned yourself to fixing the walkway, but not the house? That'll be someone else's job?"

" _No_ – !" Lainy managed to whisper before Lorenzo interjected with, "It's understandable that you can't see it this way, Law. What you spoke of…it would be fitting that we could not reach you. Punishment, purgatory, whichever it should be named, it would be fitting for the both of us. But, we lost one child – we refuse to give up on the other -"

"You _gave up_ long before that night even happened!"

Lorenzo exhaled heavily as Law's voice raised again. He reached up and removed his glasses, to clean them with the napkin he held. He swallowed tightly before replacing them back over his face. Lainy looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before she straightened in her chair, looking at Law with a composed expression.

"We did," she said quietly. "We failed. We failed to save Lamie, we failed to keep you. Nothing will ever excuse or forgive our actions, just as Lorenzo stressed, Law, but…even if you cannot allow yourself to find fit in our company again, both of us refuse to give up, now. We can't smooth this over with anything easy, because it's not that easy…each of us has spent long hours hating ourselves, each other -"

"Not that I'll ever stop hating both of you, too – "

" – but with all this hate, despite it all, both of us love you _so much_!" Lainy finished over Law's statement, speaking tightly. "Even if we've failed at first, we will persevere and stand behind you, and when you allow it, we will both pick you up when you need us to."

"That's the thing, I learned to live without you," Law snapped at her. "I _know_ I don't need either of you, anymore."

"You can say that to us all you want," Lainy said, eyebrows furrowing together, "but we will still be there, anyway."

"Even _if_ I agreed to your impulse to make up what you've done – "

"This wasn't an 'impulse'," Lorenzo cut in. "This was years of therapy and planning, and waiting - !"

" – I will _never_ be the s-ssame person to you again! You've approached a complete stranger for your fffucking efforts!"

"A stranger, yes, a product of our own hands," Lainy agreed quietly. "But you're still our son. Law Water D. You're _still_ our son."

Law furrowed his brow, a little confused at the extra letter in his name. Lainy pointed towards Garp bellowing with laughter over Zeff's complaints, the boys that talked animatedly amongst each other over the menu.

"It wasn't included in your original paperwork, and was, for some reason, never added back on throughout the years," Lainy said with a heavy sigh. "I had spoken to Smoker about it, but I suppose something small like that would escape the notice of those necessary."

Law didn't find this relevant in any way. He was not interested in that aspect. He was still simmering with anger, discomfort and a feeling of exhaustion. He could feel himself start to shut down, earlier strength deflating after having expressed enough of himself to hurt them. He started to suspect that they'd been emotionally and mentally equipped to take his anger, having a counselor's guidance to navigate all the blame, hurt and rage a child like him would have for his parents after being re-introduced to them. It made him feel frustrated that they were prepared, and he felt he never would be. His counselor had worked with him, but he hadn't the same level of grounding he felt he should have to deal with a meeting like this one, because he'd often tuned out the advice and prompting thrown his way. So it felt, to him, that his parents were ganging up on him again.

Sanji returned to the table, carrying a pitcher of water. He saw that they still hadn't had their drinks, and noticed Law's posture. He was immediately worried, but interrupting was something he couldn't do, right now. They'd worked out a signal, but Law hadn't given him it, so he had to stay on task. Still, he stood very close to Law to fill his already full water to the brim of the glass, using his right hand to subtly touch the older kid's arm.

He then straightened from the table, deliberately bumping his knee against Law's leg underneath the table. Using any subtle way he could to let the older kid know he was supported. He struggled to find a more reasonable voice to speak with, cutting through the heavy tension.

"Your shitty food will be ready in a few more minutes," he said, wincing because he hadn't meant to say 'shitty'. "Look, one of the cooks back there got into an argument with the prep guy because prep guy failed to tenderize the meats properly, so they ended up knocking each other around in the alley. It's okay, though, none of them were bleeding when they came back."

Startled, Lainy and Lorenzo looked at him.

Hastily, as to not discourage their service, Sanji added, "Zeff taught them to kick each other so that they couldn't hurt their hands, because if any of them did, that would make it difficult to work in the kitchen, anyway. And you can't see them limping or anything, so they're totally fine."

"Er…okay," Lorenzo said lamely, unsure of what to say.

"Oh! And a fascinating little tidbit about your dishes," Sanji said as Lainy looked puzzled, "the guy making them? It's rumored he used to cook for that El Chapo in Mexico, before the first escape. So, I assure you, he's _amazing_ with authentic Mexican cuisine!"

Lorenzo and Lainy looked at each other with troubled expressions. "But neither of us ordered any Mexican," Lorenzo said.

"Oh, I know, I'm just saying, in the event that you do, you've got a definite pro that knows what he's doing! For dessert today, I'm going to recommend the chocolate triple layer cake – fun fact: it's not all chocolate! There is a hint of strawberries in it, so it's like biting into chocolate covered strawberries! The huge ones that you buy at Costco in February!"

"EGGPLANT! I don't pay you to yap, I pay you to work!"

Sanji bumped Law with his knee again, snatched up the pitcher and hurried off as Zeff hollered at him from the register. "You don't pay me at all!"

"Sanji!" Luffy bellowed. "I'm thirsty!"

"Ask your own goddamn waiter!"

"Why can't I ask you?"

"STOP _YELLING_ IN MY RESTAURANT!" Zeff bellowed at the both of them, causing the young couple in front of him to jump. "GARP!"

" _What_?" Garp asked, chewing on a couple of sliders while Sabo covertly stole Ace's as Ace snored into his plate.

"All these things, we will take responsibility for," Lainy said firmly, looking back at Law. " _All_ of it. You will not be judged or thought of differently because of what you've endured – you're still our – "

"Stop saying that!" Law snapped at her.

"I will _never_ stop saying it!" Lainy shouted at him, just under the resulting shouts between Zeff and Garp, diners all around them either entranced by the males seated at the large table nearest the window, or theirs. "No matter what you've been through, everything you've endured, it's because of our actions, but that does not mean you're not our son! It does not mean that we don't love you any less, any differently - ! _You're still our boy_!"

"That'll change," Law told her. "Just like it did when Lamie died. This half ass effort means nothing. Both of you are just as dead to me as ssshe is."

"You're allowed to say these things," Lorenzo told him firmly as Lainy drew her napkin to her face, wiping her eyes. "You're allowed to be angry, hateful…all these things that happened were fault of our own. But that doesn't discourage us from insisting that we're here, now, to pick up and fix the pieces that we've damaged. It might be too late, but that's not going to stop us."

Law pinned Lorenzo with a near unblinking stare. "Did you spend all this time thinking of that all by yourself?"

Before Lorenzo could reply, Sanji and another server came by with their plates. The server, a stout man with thinning hair, scars, and tattoos covering his neck and arms, set down the hot plates in front of Lorenzo and Lainy while Sanji set his down in front of Law.

Despite the distress he felt, Law looked down at the food in front of him, hearing his stomach rumble noisily.

Quite aware of the tension, Sanji put his hand down companionably on Law's shoulder, pointing out their individual plates and naming off their key ingredients.

"Enjoy every bite!" the other server said gleefully, revealing dull gold teeth, while one of his neck tattoos asked a viewer if they wanted a boot up their ass. Lainy looked at him with a near terrified expression. As Lorenzo and Lainy were distracted by the server's spiel on how fresh their meat was, Law lowered a hand from the table to clasp the back of Sanji's thigh, giving a slight squeeze. Then he started eating, Sanji feeling better at the reassurance given.

After the pair left the table, the trio fell silent. Lorenzo and Lainy were too upset to eat, miserably watching their son decimate his food without looking up. A moment later, Luffy popped up next to him, crouching off to the side to startle Law in mid-bite.

"Wow, that sure looks _great_!" Luffy exclaimed, examining Law's dish with visible delight. He then stood up to look over Lorenzo's and Lainy's plates as well, Law struggling to calm his wildly racing heart because Luffy's arrival had been completely unexpected.

Sabo and Ace were arguing with each other over Ace's missing sliders, while Garp was taking an unexpected nap, completely unaware young diners were taking pictures of him with his head leaning so far back. Sanji and the server were pulling back on Zeff, the owner with a jar of mints in one hand that he intended on throwing at Garp, the pair of them arguing about the profit the family was going to bring them.

Luffy whistled low, fingers tapping together with immense restraint as he held himself back from stealing anyone's food at this table. He was incredibly oblivious to the tension that lingered there, the upset expressions on the adults' faces. All he was focused on was their food.

" _Damn_ , look at that! You think Sanji cooked all of this by himself? _Wow_ , that roast beef looks _so good_! I should've ordered that instead! Oh, _boy_ , how lucky for you, you got a boyfriend that can cook for you all the time, Law!"

The three of them paused in mid-action. All of them wore varying expressions of alarm as Luffy bit his lower lip and looked longingly at Lainy's steak, untouched by her utensils.

Because Law had not intended on revealing his relationship to Sanji to them, he was thrown off the ledge he'd braced himself on, aware that he was stuck between telling himself he didn't care about their opinion, _and_ caring for it, for the very weight for their judgment. It looked like they were caught unprepared for this type of revelation, wearing expressions that detailed their struggle to hold back on saying anything.

"Oh, but that steak looks _good_ , too! Look how _juicy_ it is!" Luffy said, looking over Lorenzo's plate before drifting back to Law's. "Man, that fish sure looks tasty! Oh lordy, this looks even better than that buffet that kicked us out last week! I'm so excited! Eat up, Law! God, you're so _lucky_!"

"I apologize," Sabo said hastily, reaching out and grabbing Luffy, pulling him from the table. "I'm so sorry! My brothers were literally raised in a barn, they're just - ! They get so excited at places like these, please don't mind them. All those rude things he might've said should be brought to the attention of that man, over there!"

"I was just _saying_ that Law was lucky to have a boyfriend like Sanji, because he works in a place like this," Luffy complained, Sabo's scarred face dropping with horror as he judged Lorenzo and Lainy's faces. Both of them looked so startled that they hadn't even completed the bite they'd yet to take of their dinner. Law looked rigid as the tension racketed.

A strange sound left Sabo at that moment, Luffy exhaling heavily, patting Law's shoulder as he then wandered back to his table, commenting excitedly over everything he saw on other diner's tables.

" _I am_ … _so_ … _sorry_ ," Sabo stressed to the center of the table. He fretted, hands wringing upon another. "Ah, _I'm so sorry_! My brother just says anything, and misinterprets everything! He didn't mean that in the way you think - !"

"It's, uh…" Lorenzo lowered his fork, looking at Law once again, wondering about the relationship between him and these boys. They spoke so familiarly with him, so he assumed that they were friends, despite Law's obvious indication of distance from them. It made him feel good that Law had friends. "It's _okay_. There is…there is nothing wrong with that."

Lainy looked as if she'd been slapped, visibly trying to repress saying anything at the moment.

"Though, it would've been preferable if we were informed by him, considering the…sensitivity of the…the subject."

Sabo inhaled strangely, sweating profusely. Lorenzo looked at him with concern, wondering if he should react in some way.

Lainy looked at Law, her fingers clenched over her utensils. "It's not that it's wrong in any way, but is it healthy?"

Law looked at her, automatically defensive. "Define."

"I had only meant, is this for all the…the right reasons? And it's not…something produced as the result of…"

"Lainy," Lorenzo interrupted, Sabo looking at Law with intense apology, "I understand where you're trying to go with this, but that's not the right thing to say."

"Then, let me explain!" Lainy looked back at Law after snapping at him. "This isn't one of those relationships you spoke to us about, earlier?"

It was a fair question, Law supposed, but it didn't allow him to relax in any way. But he refused to speak of it while Sabo was still there.

"Fuck off," he told the older kid, who hurriedly did that. Once Sabo reached the table, he proceeded to choke Luffy, Ace reacting with a startled curse, Garp waking up with a snort once he heard the noises of horrified diners around them.

"GARP! WHAT THE FUCK?" Zeff screamed from across the restaurant, causing a small family to scurry back through the front doors before the host could say anything.

Amidst the noises caused by the D boys in the distance, Law told Lainy, "Not that your approval matters to any answer I give."

Lainy tightened her hands atop of the table, her expression steely. "Like father, like son?"

The idea was ludicrous, but Law was aware that the last name spoke volumes, considering their earlier subject matter. He didn't want to give them any ammunition to use against Sanji, but he didn't want to hear them badmouthing him, either. He took another bite, flavor exploding over his dry tongue as fish and a forkful of vegetables followed. He concentrated on the effort to chew thoroughly, just amazed at Sanji's ability to create a pleasurable meal. How could Judge _not_ want him to do this for his family?

"If you talk _any_ shit about him, I'll leave," he said through a mouthful of potatoes.

Lainy looked frustrated. "I just don't want that type of person taking any advantage of you – "

"If anyone is taking _any_ sort of advantage over anyone, it'd be me," Law snapped at her.

"Lainy," Lorenzo interrupted, touching her arm. "I see where you're coming from. But it's apparent Sanji is a good kid. Law, please understand why your mother would react this way – that last name causes an immense amount of caution."

It did, and that was the only reason why Law continued eating without giving Lainy anything more. Lainy watched him with worry, then exhaled heavily, looking down at her meal once more. She looked over at the sound of Sanji trying to keep Luffy from jumping on him as he and the other server brought out their plates – followed by three other servers with full trays of food. The other diners around them were amazed by the amount of food being brought to the group, some taking out cellphones to take pictures.

She looked back at her son. She wasn't sure if they were reaching him in any way, considering how high the wall was in front of him, but she felt determined. She was going to get through to him, no matter what. They were not going to give up on him again.

* * *

A/N: Ha ha, you guys are guessing everything! I hope to get one more chapter out before I disappear next week, as I will not have time to write anything. I've been pretty busy writing the other fic, and getting fed up with various things around me in real life, so this might come along slowly…I hope to come back more inspired than ever after a trip out of state!

 **Guest** : Aw, thank you! And you're definitely welcome!

 **RR** : I haven't decided if the note will reappear – they still pass notes to each other, but maybe it might…here, or later in the future ;) As for the content of it, it wasn't dirty, but it was definitely Sanji's feelings on paper. Now, as you've read, dinner *is chaotic. But it isn't over with D:

 **DedicatedFan** : Yonji is more connective with Niji or Sanji, being unable to truly connect with that alien older brother. So if he loses one companion, he has another to rely on, but his relationship with Niji is different from Sanji. So, of course he'd feel it if Sanji was gone. (So would the other two in their own ways) Judge is an asshole, and I felt I needed to display that more – and his attitude is where Niji gets it. It took a lot of courage for Sola to actually do so, considering his position and knowing she'd be screwed over, but she did it. That's an entirely different story, through. As for your questions, yes, the substitutions are there – stress and anxiety tends to cause him immense trouble with speaking properly because he's aware of the viewpoint towards him in reaction, so when he's really stressed out – like in this chapter – his stuttering gets more intense. It's barely noticeable when he's fine and can open up to those he's comfortable around (Rosinante, Sanji, Doflamingo – who mocks him anyway, but since Law knows where he stands with Doffy, he just goes ahead with it) but on the spot – it's impossible to escape. As you read, yep, those boys showed up and made a mess of things!

 **Sarge1130** : Ah, to answer the first review: yes, this is Judge, this is what he's like, and where Niji gets it. DX Yonji was brave enough to point out Judge's faults in that, and Sanji doesn't care – he's going to say whatever he wants in response to Judge's actions, or lack of. And Law is realistic – he knows he's not in a good position to help Sanji, no matter what, but that doesn't mean he won't stop being there for him if Sanji needs him. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much of a change to show that, because Sanji puts him first with all of this happening. But you can definitely count on Law being there if Sanji happens to fall into trouble.

You're right! This happens when he's under pressure to speak or open up, and it took some time for him to speak 'properly' with Sanji. He had a very tough childhood, which is why he is the way he is, but he's still got a future ahead of him. (hopefully) While Law respects Smoker, Sanji's viewpoint is more relatable for him, allowing him to think that he can do this if he's allowed to think that way. Smoker tries, but he just lacks that viewpoint. Whatever Law decides to do when it comes to his parents will definitely depend on what happens next chapter. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!


	28. Chapter 28

**28**

* * *

Exhaling heavily, Lainy looked over her food. She felt an overwhelming sensation of helplessness in her, something that welled and spilt over, desperation changing the taste of her dinner. She was aware that they had failed, but because of everything that had happened after that horrible night, she now felt tremendous pressure to make up for it. After hearing the horror that her son had endured since then, she only felt that this 'relationship' of theirs was just another obstacle to stumble over.

With how vulnerable she felt her son was, and after hearing the horror stories of those Vinsmoke family, she could not help but think that Law was in the wrong place, with the wrong person. Lorenzo studied her for a few moments, then looked back at his son. He set his fork down aside his plate as Law cleared his, the sounds of the busy restaurant taking up space between them as the D boys decimated their dinners with enthusiastic gusto.

"What matters most is that…you are happy," Lorenzo said quietly, wiping at his mouth. "That you aren't in a position where you can't say…where you can't say 'no', or don't feel as if – "

"Like anything you say regarding it has any weight or value to me," Law told him, his mouth full.

"Even if you can't take our words in the way we're trying to express…can't help but express," Lorenzo added fitfully, "take them with an open mind. They're infamous for a reason, and…Lainy and I…are very concerned that, perhaps what you don't know as a healthy relationship - "

Law put down his fork with a loud clatter, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and finished chewing. He looked away at the sound of Ace and Luffy battling each other over Ace's Philly Cheesesteak and Luffy's spaghetti and meatballs, their voices reaching top volume while Sabo ate his food hastily to prevent any robberies. Garp was criticizing Zeff's chefs while he cleaned his plates, Zeff moments from physically attacking him for the obvious lie.

He wanted to tell Lorenzo that their opinions had no meaning to him. He wanted to say that this relationship had given him the most positive feelings he'd had in years. He wanted to remind them it was their fault in the first place for his lack of knowledge in having a 'healthy relationship'. But all these things built and weighed down onto his tongue, which was pressed firmly against the back of his teeth. And sorting them out to express clearly was causing him frustration.

He fitted them both with a glare, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nothing you say will stop me from holding onto the only thing that makes me feel like a normal person."

"Considering the rumors about this particular family – "

"Considering that you only know of four of them, and not all of them suggests a lot."

Lainy sucked her lips between her teeth, finding Law's confrontational position troubling. But her eyes found the person they were discussing wading through the D brothers' mess, holding a tray full of food over his head while Luffy reached for it, exclaiming with joy as a server hastily removed their emptied plates to make room for more. While she couldn't deny the difference in appearance and position whenever Sanji was around Law, she still felt she had to do something in regards to protecting her vulnerable son's well-being.

There was nothing nice said about any Vinsmoke; their patriarch was controlling, abusive and powerful, and it showed in his work, in the rumors surrounding him when it came to his cases, to his ex-wife. The sons were regarded similarly, and when Lainy had learned more about them, she was astounded at the way the boys presented themselves when it came to the public. All of them were following in their father's footsteps, and that worried her, because what would happen when Sanji grew tired of Law?

"You were fine with him being a friend," Law stated. "Now you have an opinion?"

"We just are not comfortable with the thought of you being…used…"

"Like I said earlier - !"

"I understand that, but – "

"Your opinion essentially means nothing to me."

Lainy inhaled slowly while Lorenzo frowned, clutching his napkin tightly. The pair of them stiffened as Sanji hurried over, looking troubled by his earlier battle with the D boys.

"Did you like it?" Sanji asked Law, seeing that his plate was clean, save for the bones.

Law nodded rigidly, unsure of what to say with the tension racketing at this moment. Because he was aware of it, Sanji gathered what he could, looking over the Trafalgar's plates and cups. Then he hurried off, holding the plates to his chest as he ventured towards the kitchen, seeing a couple of chefs pulling on Zeff, trying desperately to calm his temper as Garp snoozed over his empty plate.

Lainy took a deep breath. "We would still welcome you to our home, Law. No matter what…we could…work on these things – "

"Even if I agreed to it, I would not follow your rules," Law said firmly, feeling hot anxiety build up in his chest. Because this was happening, because they were still offering, and because the entire conversation was so damn stressful – because this was his chance to take it, to use it, and he still didn't know if he could. After all that he'd revealed, they still wanted him? He looked for Sanji, to remember what it was they'd planned, together. To look within himself to see if he still wanted to do this. But he didn't like how judgmental they seemed to be when it came to Sanji – he automatically pulled up his defenses.

Lainy examined him for a few moments, looking for cracks. "Of course not," she said quietly.

"Because you're not a child, anymore," Lorenzo added, clearing his throat to do so. "But there would be rules – general rules."

Because he was curious, Law asked, "What sort?"

Despite herself, Lainy brightened at the possibility that he'd agreed to them. Lorenzo kept speaking, making it clear to Law that they'd planned for this.

"Being that you're still attending high school, it's important that your education comes first. That you're home in time for dinner, curfew at twelve – only being that you're still attending school, and this is a fair request. If you have friends over, they must respect our household and ourselves, and you, as well. We are not tolerant of rude and disrespectful individuals – "

"You'll make an exception of Sanji."

Both Lorenzo and Lainy looked troubled, each of them glancing at the teen as he cursed and kicked Luffy to keep him from attacking him, holding a steaming plate of ribs high above his head so that he could place it down onto the table. The words that left him caused a couple of elderly diners to blanch, Garp to awaken with a startled snort, and Zeff guffawing, looking rather proud of the combination of words strung together.

"Otherwise, I have no one else," Law said, watching as Luffy hugged Sanji tightly, the flat of his sandal against Ace's face as Ace looked over the platter of meat with appreciation.

"A-as long as he isn't…disrespectful towards, or of you," Lorenzo said slowly, Lainy frowning. "And that includes name calling, physical or mental abuse, stress – "

"If anyone is abusive here, it's me," Law interrupted, watching them look at him with startled looks. "The last time I hit him, I was pissed at him for thinking he could leave me for someone else."

Lainy put her fingers against her lips, to cry out with denial. Lorenzo looked as if he wasn't sure what to say, fumbling with his napkin as he stretched out the material, crushed it within one hand.

"Stop thinking he's the bad guy," Law told them firmly.

"That sort of behavior is unacceptable. We don't talk with our fists," Lorenzo muttered, quite aware of the accusation in Law's face as the teen looked at him. He cleared his throat noisily. "I've had to learn the hard way, of this…physical violence is not acceptable as…as a result. It will not be tolerated – "

"No one has the patience to hear me speak. I've learned this is an easier method. Thanks to you," Law added, staring at Lorenzo.

Taking a deep breath, Lorenzo then said, "We are willing to help find better ways to express yourself without using your fists – "

"If you think to hit me now, you will be hit right back."

"No one's threatening you with violence, Law," Lainy interrupted, almost tearfully.

"Just in case," Law said.

"We will all continue attending therapy," Lorenzo interrupted firmly. "All of us. For our impulses, for our mistakes, to fix what's left of us – it's helped your mother and I significantly, and I feel that with time, you'll find it useful, too."

"Therapists like to spend more time on what makes me tick than what can be fixed," Law said. "They want to know if I'll be a problem to society later. I'm too old to be 'fixed'."

"You're not too old," Lainy interjected quickly. "You are never too old! You can be helped, you just have to put effort into it, just as much effort as others are putting into you!"

"Just so you can give up on me again? No," Law added, slouching in his chair. "Setting myself up for failure isn't on my list of things to do."

"Then what is on that list?" Lorenzo asked. "Don't you want to get out of there? Don't you want a permanent house with access to all these material things, all these important possessions that those your age want? Food? Clothes, a bed? Where you don't have to…to worry about predators, or if you'll be wanted, or - !"

"The place I'm staying gives me all that – "

"It doesn't show," Lorenzo pointed out, gesturing at his overall appearance.

"I don't need many things – "

"You require the very basic of things, and that's obvious those things aren't being met! You're starving every time you see us! You are not putting any care into your appearance, your clothes are …! You need to be out of that house, away from those selfish pricks that are clearly just using you - !"

"I don't want to because I'm nothing without - !"

"You are somebody!" Lorenzo shouted over him. "You're just a kid that should not be spending what's left of their childhood taking care of an adult - !"

"Don't talk about him that way!"

"How selfish is this stranger, anyway? To be relying on you when there should be someone more available to do so!" Lorenzo exclaimed, growing angry at the thought of it all over again, unable to picture who the person was that would force his son into the caring of another human being without care to himself. Every time he looked at Law, something inside of him crumbled from his own mixed feelings.

"He was there far more than you two ever were," Law muttered, stiffening up as the sound of his father's raised voice brought back unpleasant memories. But somewhere in the din, he heard the faint crackle of the note Sanji had written him in his pocket. He forced himself to breathe slowly, pinning Lorenzo with a cautious stare, and Lainy watched him. Despite the threats he'd given earlier, it hurt her how vulnerable and fragile her son still was; it showed in his body language, in the way he watched Lorenzo with caution, and she clenched her fists atop of her lap, feeling frantic that things weren't working out the way she wanted them to.

"Stop it!" she hissed, repeating herself when Lorenzo started to yell again, growing furious as his emotions took control over the way he expressed himself. "Both of you! Prodding each other like this isn't helping! Lorenzo, we were prepared for this, and you're not conducting yourself appropriately, like we practiced! Law, we know what you're doing. Pushing at us, challenging us, isn't going to discourage us away from you. We're aware of all those horrible things, and we're sorry that it happened! But you're not giving us a chance to right it; you're not giving us a chance to even start."

"There's nnnno reason why I should!"

Lainy reached out and pulled on Lorenzo's arm as he made to speak, hearing him exhale with frustration. Both of them took a few moments to think, to put themselves back into order, while Law pushed his chair back and considered the Exit door.

"No," Lorenzo said hastily, rising to stand, as if he intended on stopping him. "Don't go. Just…let that be the end of it, for now. Don't run. At least we've given each other a place to start. We know what's happening in your head, you know what's in ours. But running from it now, it isn't useful to either of us – "

"It sounds like you're angry at me!" Law pointed out when Lainy interrupted with, "We are, Law. We're very angry at you."

Absolutely floored by this, Law just looked at her, all his bewildered replies on his tongue, trapping themselves against his teeth.

Lainy took a few moments to compose herself, Lorenzo looking at her with a similar expression.

"We're frustrated and angry that you refuse to give us this chance to bond with you," Lainy said quietly. "Both of us are frustrated that you don't give either of us a chance to sit down and talk with you, because you've been hurt - "

"You're fucking - !"

"I'M SPEAKING!" Lainy shouted over him, drawing attention from the others around them. She composed herself once more. "Yet, you're comfortable allowing yourself to be abused in this manner, by staying in homes that don't provide any sort of care you rightly deserve, by thinking you deserve this type of attention, this type of treatment, when we can rightly give you everything you've needed, and everything you've deserved. How is it strangers are given more regard than your own family?"

"Lainy - !" Lorenzo exclaimed, wearing a sort of horrified expression as he looked to Law.

"I'm frustrated and angry!" Lainy snapped, eyes filling up with tears once more. She looked at Law. "Why are strangers given complete consideration when we aren't? You're more willing staying in homes that will destroy you, than stay in one where we can love and care for you, regardless of everything that had happened! When will we be considered?"

And because it was such an intense hassle to mount and prepare a verbal response to it, Law felt he couldn't say anything, just yet. But he searched for Sanji, finding him arguing with Zeff over a receipt, and once Sanji looked his way, Law gave him the signal; a couple of pats atop of the table. Sanji immediately pushed the receipt against Zeff's chest, much to the older man's bewilderment, and undid his apron on his way to their table.

Before Lorenzo could muster the words out of his mouth, Sanji came up to the table, essentially standing in their way as Law quickly left his chair and headed to the Exit door. Both Trafalgars stood up with alarm, Lorenzo moving to walk after him as Law hastily made it outside, Sanji moving into Lorenzo's path.

"Just give him a few minutes!" Sanji said, hands out as he blocked their path. "Just a few minutes!"

"He's going to leave us!" Lainy uttered in a panicked gasp, looking absolutely terrified. "He's going to leave us!"

'How could you say all that?" Lorenzo asked her incredulously, and both of their voices were reedy, thin, and Sanji watched their reactions cautiously as he inched back towards the Exit door, seeing them face each other.

"Stay!" he then commanded, barely catching their attention as he hurried outside, hearing Zeff bellow after him impatiently.

Once outside, just down the alleyway, he caught sight of Law fumbling with his cigarettes, lighter clicking away. He hurried over to him, searching his expression for an explanation of things. But he caught sight of his shaking hands, and once Law had the cigarette lit, puffing at it anxiously, Sanji reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it between both of his.

"Did you tell them?" he asked, looking up at him with concern. "Did you tell them your thoughts? Conditions?"

Law replayed some of the conversations over, again. There was too much to talk about. Too much that he didn't want to share yet with this kid. But even as he felt cold and incredulous and frustrated and struck, an emotional similar to the sensation of a physical hit, he found himself wondering the answer to Lainy's question.

He didn't want to be hurt by them again. He didn't want the disappointment – he couldn't take it. He knew what to expect in strangers' homes, now, nothing would be shocking. He knew where he stood with Doflamingo, and could expect violence, stress over Rosinante. With his parents, he didn't know what to rely on. Yet, he acknowledged that he didn't want to be comfortable easing back into that household, to be disappointed, again.

"I did," he said with effort. "But it didn't go…"

"What matters is that you gave them an idea of what to expect," Sanji said with relief, holding onto his hand, leading him down the alley to walk. Law's legs felt stiff and jerky, and walking felt too hard to do while he was smoking, so he forced himself to a stop. Sanji jerked him again, nearly causing him to lose his cigarette. "Keep moving. Don't stop, because your body won't react quick enough when you need it, too. You need to loosen up, get moving."

It made sense, and Law followed him, even as every step was heavy and his feet dragged, like they couldn't remember how to operate correctly.

Since he wasn't getting any answers, Sanji stopped pushing. What mattered was that Law was talking, and it had been obvious if all parties involved were upset. If Lorenzo and Lainy were left standing there in that state, then it was working. At least the lines of communication had been opened, no matter how badly.

In the parking lot, Law said, "They really want me to live with them."

Sanji observed his expression. "It doesn't look like you're happy about it."

"I still think…" Law trailed off, sucking in too much nicotine, erupting into coughs. He ended up spitting a large mass of collected mucus and smoke onto the pavement and immediately felt sick as anxiety raced through him. They paused in mid-walk as a small family left the restaurant, laughing and upbeat over the sights they had seen. The youngest was gesturing at how many things Luffy had crammed into his mouth, laughing as he did so.

But for a few moments, Law just stood there with his hands on his knees, frowning down at the pavement. Sanji stood next to him, hand on his back. In the silence that followed, he ran his hand up the length of Law's spine, wincing at the feel of bones against his palm, the sweaty moisture caused by nervousness. The smell of Law's agitation was obvious.

"What do you want me to say?" Sanji asked him quietly.

"Nothing," Law told him, straightening up to wipe his face, ashes falling from his cigarette. "I don't even know what to say."

Sanji couldn't imagine being in his place so he kept his mouth closed, watching him for any signs of need, or wants. He felt apprehensive because he didn't want Law going back to Doflamingo's, but at the same time, he could feel that getting along with his parents was much more nerve-wracking than Sanji had thought. He took the cigarette away from his shaking fingers, tossing it to the parking lot curb before looking around themselves. He frowned at the sight of the half full area, where diners tonight had been treated to a couple of scenes.

He leaned in to rest his forehead against Law's back, holding onto his shirt to do so. The feel of the older kid's sweat immediately made itself known against his own sweaty bangs. "Will you have dessert?" he mumbled, knowing that it was a definite 'no'.

"Are they allowed to be mad at me?" Law asked instead, incredulity laced on his tone. "Is that even – I'm flummoxed, here."

"Leave it to you to use big words," Sanji said, drawing away from him so that he could face him. "I've never heard that word used by anybody around me."

Seeing that Sanji was speaking the truth, Law just stared back at him. He couldn't help but smile a little. In a race to keep his thoughts intact, he latched onto that. "Not even from big brother?"

"He probably does say it, but I tune him out, a lot."

After a few moments, Law then mumbled, "I'm tired."

"You've had a long day," Sanji agreed, reaching out to hold onto his hand again. "But you're not done, here."

"I, literally, don't have any mind to say anything more. I just need to think…I just need to think about things and…sort it out."

"Then cut the night short like that. Go in there, tell them thank you for the food, tell them you'll think about it," Sanji said firmly. "Don't just go and leave them in the dust. Not – "

"I don't owe them any courtesy - !"

"You don't! You don't, but this is mainly for you! You're cutting it short because you're sick of their shit, you need to go home and think! You're in control of this by doing so – you don't have any just running off, because that just makes them think – like, you do that, again, they'll know you're terrified of them - !"

"It's not that I'm terrified of them, I just don't want – like, I know they won't like me anyway, and…"

"You're going to use them until you can do this on your own, and that will take some work, but it's sure as fuck better than sleeping in the streets, doing shit-all to get through it!" Sanji insisted, pushing at him to get his attention when Law turned away from him with a huge, unsettled sigh. "Stand your fucking ground! Stop doing this! Stop running away – don't do this, tonight, you don't need to feel afraid. Everything was put out in the open, all of you know what you're in for. Get it over with."

"I think that they're a little…deluded," Law said carefully, unsure of how to word what he felt. "I put everything out there, but they still think they can save me."

"As long as they're aware of it," Sanji told him, reaching over to hit his arm. "If it's out there, it's out there. It's okay if they try – use it. Use it, Law!"

"It's not that easy – like I said, what if I get comfortable, and - !"

"Then I'll come around and remind you of it, so what? It's better than Doflamingo's! Who knows what he wants you to do! It's better than the streets – what are you going to do on the streets? And that program you mentioned, does that sound better than this?"

Law sighed again, Sanji at his side, following his every step as he made meandering footsteps in the handicapped area, taking the lines one foot at a time. He ran his hands through his hair, briefly entangling them there while he considered his options.

"You don't have to like them," Sanji said insistently. He reached out and grabbed his jeans to stop him from wandering off. "But think of them as your next foster family. A classroom you have to endure. They won't be around all hours of the day! You can do this if you keep yourself at a distance, it'll be easier for you!"

"Is this the type of influence you appreciate, Law?" Lainy asked, startling them as she walked over from the front, having spotted them from the walkway. "That sort of advice doesn't sound very forgiving."

Defensively, Law stopped walking and stepped in front of Sanji, stopping the younger teen from speaking as he opened his mouth to do so.

"It sounds like you're being brainwashed," Lainy added, feeling her jaw clench as she looked from one to the other.

"No. It's sound advice," Law said, hearing the sound of a car door open, feeling a little embarrassed for the confrontation in a parking lot.

"How is it? He's telling – you're telling him not to trust us," Lainy told Sanji, having to look around her son to do so. "You're influencing him not to - !"

"I'm giving him advice! He has a hard time talking to you guys - !" Sanji spit out with protest before Law covered his mouth with one hand and pushed him away.

"Don't talk to him," Law told Lainy with a hardened glare, his mother wearing a startled expression upon this order. "I told you, if you had nothing but shit to say about him, then don't even try."

Sanji heard this and bit the inside of his cheek - he figured his last name had caused this, but it threw him off that Law would defend him. He was stuck between being touched, and being surprised that this was even a thing that had been discussed.

"It looked as if you were running -" Hand out, to stop both boys from speaking up in protest, she said, "We panicked! We panicked because that's what you do, this happened before, and I'm aware that I might've said the wrong thing trying to say the right! Let me clarify myself -"

"What's to clarify?" Law asked incredulously.

"Let her speak, let her speak," Sanji said at that moment, tugging on his arm, and when Law looked at him with utter disgust, scanning the parking lot for possible voyeurs, Lainy saw her chance.

Quickly, she said, "I stand behind my words, Law. Why stay in a house where you'll most likely be physically, mentally hurt than take a chance with your own parents, both of whom want so badly to make up for what happened? We'll never forget it, it'll never be the same, but we can pick up where we left off and turn it into something different! You'll be safer with us than you would with anyone else, if you would just give us a chance! Can't you see how much you've changed? You're braver, now, your head is lifted - you never did that, you never made eye contact and you're doing it now - there is nothing we can do to you that we've already done, and it isn't - we wouldn't, again, we had to learn from our - horrible, horrible mistake, Law! For you to keep your distance, just - kills us, but we won't ever give up! We won't ever turn away, just - give us this chance to start over!"

Law could hear the pleas in her voice, the faint veils of desperation as she spoke rapidly, venturing closer and closer to him until he finally realized that she was clutching onto him with both hands. Her grip was forged from steel, and she held herself rigidly, clearly intending on preventing his escape.

Law noticed Sanji standing off to the side, watching him, fiddling with his cast. Law watched him, feeling uncomfortable with the feel of his mother's hands on him, quite aware that it was the first time she'd touched him since he was a child. And before he knew it, Lainy had her arms wrapped around him, squeezing him with a surprisingly strong grip as she clutched at him as desperately as her words left her.

Her fingers curled tightly into him, taking note of his thinness, already weak with her words, and suddenly more aware of how much of her son she'd lost through these years.

Sanji watched Law with concern, seeing his expression battle his emotions, none of them positive. He was uncomfortable with his mother's touch, uncomfortable standing there, fighting something Sanji couldn't figure out through his expression alone. But it was easy to determine Lainy's reaction - plain on her face, in her voice, and Sanji could see himself in her spot. Fighting to be acknowledged, to be heard - and he felt like he was betraying his friend at that point, identifying with Lainy.

Lainy struggled to keep herself talking but her emotions overwhelmed her as she touched the boy she'd lost years ago. She pulled in large breaths, tightening her arms, and she gave a small sound of distress as Law started to pull away from her, clearly discomforted by her touch. Sanji wanted to stop him, only lost in his moment, but Law's face told him that he didn't want this.

So he stepped forward and helped Law pull out of her grasp, Lainy protesting with struggling breath as her fingers curled tightly into Law's shirt, unconsciously refusing to let go, sure she would lose him again.

"Let go," Law ordered quietly, starting to feel upset. He was confused by his own emotions, his mother's emotions, the situation - Lainy couldn't and didn't want to let go of him, and he started to feel panic because of the scene.

"No," Lainy whispered, the repeated herself firmly, holding onto his shirt with both hands. "No, I don't want to. I'm going to lose you, again, you're going to run away, I don't want to let go!"

"No, let go...let go!"

"Nooo!"

"Mrs Trafalgar, let him go, he's not going to leave, just let go for now," Sanji pleaded with her, reaching into help Law force Lainy's hands loose from his shirt.

"No!" Lainy pulled at Law to escape Sanji's grasp, and the three of them stumbled off to the side, struggling.

She spoke with difficulty, breathing heavily as she fought Sanji's hands, Law's prying fingers, finding more shirt material to grasp as she pulled back. "Just give us this chance! It won't be the same, but we'll give you a stable home, a peaceful environment, a chance to allow us to fix the things we lost!"

"I can't do this!" Law exclaimed, feeling panicked himself as Lainy refused to let go of him. "Let go! Let me go!"

"NO!"

"Let go, both if you, let go! Let go, he won't run, he'll stand to listen, just stop holding onto him! You're scaring him!" Sanji exclaimed, turning to try and insert himself between them, pushing at Lainy. Lainy pushed back on him, hard enough to cause him to trip over a parking barrier.

Frustrated that she couldn't hold onto Law with Sanji's interference, that she resorted to physical action, Lainy reluctantly let go, Law stumbling back away from her with near windmill action. She covered her face, striving to keep herself focused, breath in heavy pants as Sanji slowly picked himself up into a seated position, holding onto his casted arm with a wince. Law immediately went to his side, checking on his arm with worry.

Before anyone could say anything, Ichiji revealed himself from a nearby line of parked cars. "Assault and battery upon my brother won't help your case, Mrs Trafalgar," he said tightly, bringing their attention to him.

Sanji was up and in his face in moments as Lainy looked at Ichiji with confusion, unsure of whom he was. She desperately tried to clean her face, wipe her eyes.

"Get out of here! Get out, what are you doing here? It's too early!" Sanji cried, pushing at him. "Wait in the car-!"

Ichiji shoved him aside and strode towards Lainy. She cowered back from him as Ichiji threatened her with, "You touch my brother again, and you'll never see this fucking kid again! Our father will make sure of it! You must know who we are!"

"Fuck off!" Law shouted at him as Lainy looked stricken at the threat.

"No, fuck you!" Ichiji snapped back at him, easily pushing away Sanji's attempts to physically shut his mouth. He grabbed his younger brother by his arm and jerked him back, Sanji making to get away from him, Law advancing towards them to separate them both; Lainy made to grab him, and succeeded in snatching onto his jeans while Ichiji shifted grip to Sanji's right hand fingers, bending them back into a painful hold that made Sanji automatically obey.

"Ow, fuck, you asshole!" Sanji protested, looking from him to Law with panic. Then, once he realized where Ichiji planned on taking him, his protests grew in volume. "It's not time! It's not time for me to clock out, yet, it's -! I have to go back inside, it's not time -!"

"If your job was that important to you, you'd be inside rather than out," Ichiji snapped at him, starting the car by remote, first. Law started trailing after them, Lainy watching with quiet observation as Ichiji applied more pressure to Sanji's arm, causing him to cry out with pain. "This parking lot drama ends now. Is this why you choose to work here? To play social worker with a family that doesn't matter to ours? Why do you waste your time? They're not worth it!"

Ichiji ended in a shout, looking back at both Law and Lainy, the woman looking at him with insult. Still holding onto Sanji, Ichiji took the steps necessary from the Buick to face them, Sanji struggling to loosen the pressure built in his broken limb.

"For an adult, you're quite stupid," Ichiji told Lainy. "I'd expect this sort of illicit stupidity from these two, brain dead as they are as they bind together at the cause of hormones, but for someone that supposedly has a degree, and in the position you stand in, causing harm to another kid with your track record doesn't bode well for any future reunification with your estranged son."

Fumbling for an answer, Lainy said,"You're right, uh..."

"My name isn't important right now -"

"Ichiji! Ichiji is my asshole older brother!" Sanji struggled to say, pulling at his grasp as Ichiji added a twist to it that nearly had him onto his knees. Law moved closer to them, Ichiji putting himself between them.

"Let go of him!" Law shouted at him. "Let go, you're going to break it again!"

"It'll be your fault," Ichiji told him firmly. "So if you want to hear it snap, come closer."

"Law-! Stop!" Sanji begged, holding onto his own arm, waiting to hear the sound of bone giving away under Ichiji's grasp.

Lainy just watched with horror, speechless as the eldest Vinsmoke faced off with them. Her son's distressed face said everything at the moment, and she realized why the Vinsmokes had the reputation they had. Seeing the way the red haired teen had no sympathy or regards to his own brother in this state was absolutely alien for her, as her children had been so close and loving towards each other.

"Father will be very displeased to learn that this is what you were doing here, Sanji," Ichiji told Sanji, lifting his arm up so that Sanji had to get up from the pavement to follow the movement, to alleviate the pressure. "You said you were only working, not using this place as a clandestine meet up with your boyfriend and his estranged family. You were told not to bother with that nonsense."

"This is my fault!" Law snapped at him, fists clenched. "I arranged to be here once I found out he was working here!"

"Ugh, its as if I'm being addressed by a struggling child," Ichiji muttered with disgust, Lainy paling at the given comment, Law looking at the teen with frustration. "If only you were given some sort of IEP to follow while attending - school, then perhaps I wouldn't have to feel the need to tune you out in deference. As it is, I see why my other brothers pin you with a target."

"Shut up, Ichi, you fucking asshole! Stop talking to him like that! You high and mighty jerk! Thinking you're so above everyone, you -!" Sanji snarled at him, managing to kick him to cause him to stumble, but not release his hand. Law shot forward to grab Ichiji, who did not release Sanji but dropped into a low horse stance before forcing Sanji's arm, elbow over shoulder, into another point of break. Hearing Sanji's panicked cry as his elbow bent upward into an unnatural angle cause Law to drop his hold on Ichiji, for Lainy to walk forward helplessly, shocked that she was seeing this type of scene.

"Back off," Ichiji told Law, waiting for him to do so. "First of all, I'm outnumbered. This gesture is necessary against my brother, who is capable of hurting me, and two, against a deceptively stronger teen boy who can lift nearly three hundred pounds of an adult man from, presumably, floor to chair, from floor to floor. I've visited your house, looking for Sanji, I'm aware of that mentally incapacitated patient you are forced to take care of."

"I'm not 'forced' -!" Law denied furiously, frustrated that he couldn't help Sanji. Movement at the corner of his eye from the alleyway told him to look, but Ichiji did something that caused Sanji to protest, pushing his face up against Ichiji's back, struggling to pull back his arm. "Let him go!"

"Let him go, please, you're hurting him," Lainy whispered, hands to her mouth as she wondered if she should scream for help, text Lorenzo.

"So, you're the mother," Ichiji said, straightening up, forcing Sanji onto his tip toes to alleviate the unnatural pressure in his arm. "Why aren't you taking him back?"

Puzzled at the inquiry, Lainy said nothing, eyes darting from one teen to the other.

"We're trying, but without success," she murmured. Law looked back at her with disgust, for answering this Vinsmoke terrorist. "He...he's very reluctant to do so. And...that's okay, he's allowed to think that."

With disapproval heavy on his features, Ichiji said, "Legally, your power exceeds his. You're his parent. You don't ask a kid to cooperate, you make them. You don't give a kid a choice, you make it for him. Your pussified way of thinking is the only reason why he continues to live in a household where he is told what to do, and how to do it, because he respects that freak of a human being. You'll never earn it with your way of thinking, because he'll never respect you. Our father raised us to respect and follow his rules, his way of thinking."

Lainy frowned at him. "Children are allowed choices, considering what we present to them as parents, and ours hasn't been that good, but we still offer it to Law, in hopes that he'll make the one that'll allow us closer to each other."

"That's not going to happen," Ichiji told her. "With the way he's relying on Sanji, he's not going to go home with you. He'll stay at that man's place, to continue caring for an invalid, to be forced into work that won't need high school education. Sex trafficking is a huge thing nowadays, and you don't think prison guards know the quickest route to make a buck off failed actions?"

Law just stared at him with discomfort, Lainy shoving her hands to her mouth to keep from giving this meanly spirited teen anything more.

"Don't be _stupid_ ," Ichiji then told Law. "You think this romance of yours will go any further with Sanji? Like I said, he has a future, you don't. If you go down that route with that man, you'll do well to lose contact with Sanji in the meantime. He's prettier than you, he'll find himself sold before he even knows what's happening."

"ICHIJI!" Sanji screeched with horror, jerking at his arm. "What are you _saying_? Stop!"

"In the meantime, keep this family squabble away from my brother, he has nothing to do with it," Ichiji said with disgust, forcing his brother to walk around him, to make their way to the car. "As it is, if I hadn't arrived early, I would've never been aware of this. Seeing it only makes sense to me, now, and we'll have a talk with our father about this."

Feeling helpless and mortified by his older brother's behavior, Ichiji's grip unbreakable on his fingers, Sanji looked back at Law. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

Feeling helpless himself, watching as Ichiji shoved his younger brother into the back of the car – where he would no doubt use the child locks to keep him there – Law said nothing. But he hoped to see him there. He felt a whirlwind of emotion just knowing that so many bad things could happen to Sanji, tonight, taken out of proportion and turned into something hideous.

As the Buick left the parking lot, he felt his mother's presence behind him. He was brought back to the encounter with her, with Lorenzo, and it felt like a sharp slap of awareness. At that moment, though, it didn't matter. He'd already made up his mind.

"I'll move in with you," he said heavily, not looking at her. He heard her sharp inhale, could picture relief on her face. "But it doesn't change anything."

* * *

A/n: My laptop died. I typed what was left of this chapter onto a Note App, and it was the hardest thing I could do.

I'm sorry, it's difficult writing replies to all the reviewers, but thank you so much for reviewing! You guys reading this fic are awesome for sticking through it!


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: After much debate, I just started writing this because inspiration found me. It won't go the way I'd written these chapters out as I'd left them on my broken laptop (which still isn't fixed ugh) so I'm taking the slow and careful route. Rewriting the end just in case.**

 **Lucy Kirkland: Thank you! Uufortunately, they can't always be there, especially when food's in front of them D:**

 **RR: I lost the few chapters I had ready to go, so it looks like I can try and rewrite them. Hoping the flow feels the same as the rest of the story! DX**

 **Guest: Sorry for making you wait months for the next chapter! Hopefully I can keep this going!**

 **12tailedninja-demon: Ah ha! Addictions are hard to manage! My twelve is rather consuming D:**

 **Sarge1130: His parents are determined! But they're stronger now – maybe things will look up with new changes abound. But it'll be quite the journey. Ichiji's attitude and jerkiness are his own shadows – as first son, he has a lot of ground to cover with his brothers, and that's hard work. Especially when one keeps rebelling against the perfection that he thought they all had. Law's journey is still in progress!**

 **Tired: omg, thank you for your time and dedication! I had to take breaks reacquainting myself with my own fic on Sunday! I'm updating again, but tentatively, considering how intense this story could be.**

 **Iamleemii: Thank you!**

 **Fireofshandora: Yonji is quite a character – all of them are. I am obsessed with the Vinsmokes, haha! If only there was more of them in latest chapters! D: They need a storyline of their own.**

 **29**

* * *

Ichiji clutched the steering wheel with both hands as his temper raced through him like fire. He was upset over seeing the confrontation, upset that Sanji couldn't do this _one thing_ correctly; upset that he'd reacted hotly rather than standing back to watch and absorb like he normally did. But seeing the fuss had made him react faster than he could think, and he knew he was out of his boundary with this. How could that family be so selfish? Giving every thought to their matters and nothing to theirs; couldn't they see what they were doing to the Vinsmokes?

At a stoplight, he glanced into the rearview mirror to see Sanji rubbing his fingers with a distressed expression, head lowered. Ichiji wondered if he were still thinking of the two that they'd left behind, and could not fathom how people so different from them could be worth so much risk. Couldn't Sanji see how dramatic this episode had been? What made him think that he was in charge of someone else's happiness?

But the more distance gained from Baratie's, the more Ichiji's head cooled. He'd messed up, deviated from his plan. It was clear these two would only get stronger the harder people pulled at them, and Ichiji's actions would ensure this. He settled in his seat with a quiet exhale, glaring at the street ahead of them. When they finally arrived home, he said nothing as he unlocked the back doors for Sanji to get out. Sanji was fuming quietly but Ichiji could tell that he was loading up all his defenses to spew upon Ichiji's own telling.

They both walked into the house, Ichiji hearing Sanji's breathing hasten just slightly as they spotted Judge sitting with Niji at the couch, watching television. Ichiji hung the keys up while Judge looked at his watch.

"You're early," he said with a puzzled frown.

"He got off early," Ichiji said, pausing in the hall while Sanji looked at him, waiting for him to spew the rest of it. "So…I'm going to finish reading, call it a night."

He could feel Sanji waiting for him to say the rest of it, but Ichiji studiously ignored the weight of that look. He turned and took the staircase to his room while Sanji gave a heave of breath.

"What's wrong with you?" Niji asked Sanji, licking his fingers clean of Cheeto dust. "Are you bastards fighting without me? You know how I hate being left out."

"I would hope he wouldn't have the energy, tonight," Judge muttered, turning up the volume. "You may as well as go to bed yourself, Sanji."

Sanji looked at him for a few moments, considering his indifference. Niji stuck his tongue out at him before cramming in more chips. Utterly confused by Ichiji's lack of accusation, he headed upstairs to his room without saying anything at all. Unusual enough to have Niji craning his neck to peer after him with bewilderment.

Once there, Sanji shut the door and listened to his heart race wildly. Ichiji had said nothing about the parking lot confrontation, or even explained why they were home early. He glanced at the time, knowing Zeff was going to be pissed that he'd gone missing when he was desperately needed with the D boys there. He felt bad for that, and he felt bad that he could not remain there for Law when Law needed him. He couldn't imagine how the other teen was faring at the moment, having such a distressing time with his estranged parents. He wiped his nose with his sleeve then ripped off his apron, the work shirt.

There was no way to get ahold of Law if he hadn't a cellphone, and Sanji couldn't bring himself to be brave enough to call their house. If Doflamingo answered, Sanji was sure he'd be a stuttering mess, and _plus_ , what if he'd put him into trouble with just calling him?

Fretting, Sanji sat at his desk, unsure of what to think. Ichiji's actions confused him – he'd thought for sure that he'd tell Judge immediately of what Sanji had been doing. Ichiji enjoyed things like that; but for his older brother to say nothing at all – it aroused suspicion. He furrowed his brow, struggling to put his thoughts in order. Ichiji had backed off for a reason – his actions and his words given at Baratie's were very indicative of his thoughts on the matter, but for him to suddenly back away without following through…

Sanji narrowed his eyes.

Icihij wasn't an impulsive person – his actions were always well thought out. So he was either keeping this as ammunition for later, or he was up to something bigger.

He'd known his brothers were up to something when they 'accepted' this thing he had with Law so Sanji figured Ichiji's silence on this was a part of that. Ichiji would not keep this to himself out of the kindness of his heart because he lacked that sort of thing. Sanji exhaled shakily. He just could not think of _why_ Ichiji would do this. He jerked out of his chair and barged into Ichiji's room, slamming the door shut behind him. His older brother looked at him with a frown, lowering his mechanical pencil to his desk.

"What are you doing?" Sanji asked him low.

"Homework," Ichiji replied nonchalantly. "Do you need help with yours?"

"Cut the bullshit, Ichi. You didn't say anything to dad about what happened, so what are you doing?"

"Do I have to say anything?" Ichiji asked, tilting his head. "Would you like me to say anything to dad about what you've been up to? Because I can – "

"You're up to something – what are you going to do, use this for later? Hold it over my head? Threaten to tell? Because I'll tell on my damn self if it comes to that!"

"I have no doubt that you would, Sanji," Ichiji said. "I was hoping you'd be truthful to us and yourself about your clandestine activities, so it's up to your conscience to get it out there before anyone else does."

Sanji fiddled with his cast before saying, "I have nothing wrong on my conscience. I was doing the right thing."

"Is this why you took the job? So you'd have more time with your boyfriend?"

"NO! This wasn't an everyday thing! It was a special day, it was - ! And you ruined it! Zeff's going to be mad at me!"

"A 'special day'?" Ichiji repeated, frowning at him. "Why?"

Sanji gulped. "I didn't even tell Zeff – he's probably going to be so pissed at me. You need to call him and explain what you did!"

"I don't need to. I'm not employed by him. That's your responsibility as an employee to get the air cleared with your boss. If you really didn't want to come with me, you didn't have to. You had a choice."

"Fuck you! I did not! You threatened to break my arm! Right in front of them!"

"You were out of control and I was only controlling the situation," Ichiji said sternly. He picked up his pencil. "Why don't you call your boss and explain to him why you left early? Maybe he'll allow you to come back."

"Is this what this is all about? You don't want me working? Are you going to sabotage everything I do in the future just for your own sick satisfaction?"

Ichiji put his pencil down again, frowning at him. "You were attacked by an adult woman. A hysterical woman does not think about her actions, she only reacts blindly. You could've rebroken your arm with what she did to you, and that pussy was only standing there. I only removed you from a potentially dangerous situation."

"Shut up, Ichiji, you robot! You did this with something else in mind! I'll just tell dad myself the fucking details so you don't have anything to hold over me!"

"Oh, go ahead, be my guest. Don't ever say I never covered for you, either," Ichiji said. "And I don't want to hear you bitching about losing the only thing that you ever looked forward to, either. Dad gave you this chance for a reason, and for you to squander it for your own idiotic reasons is your own damn fault. Maybe this'll teach you a lesson in the future – falling out of line with us and our plans has done nothing for you."

Sanji tightened his lips. Putting it that way, he could see Judge withholding any other future chances with something of his own choice and joy based off this one incident. He could see their father tracking down Lainy and Lorenzo to administer a type of warning or threat for that push. Judge would see to it that those two suffered financially to appease himself, and what if that damaged the delicate web that was being created with them and Law in the future? This was Law's only chance to have something safe and it would be ruined because of Sanji's involvement.

Ichiji smirked, understanding that he had the advantage. It looked like his mistake would work in his favor. "Go to bed, Sanji. Fix it in the morning if you're so inclined on keeping that job."

"What's in this for you?" Sanji asked, almost desperately.

Ichiji sat back in his chair, giving a wounded frown. "How could you think there's anything in this for me? There's nothing to my advantage. I'm your _brother_ , not your enemy."

Sanji glowered at him. The door rattled with force before Niji popped in, mouth full of chips.

"What's going on in here?" he demanded, his bag rattling as he grabbed another handful. "What you girls talking about in here? Why are you threatening each other without me?"

" _Nothing_ ," Sanji muttered, pushing past him and stomping to his room.

Niji looked at Ichiji with frustration, crunching noisily on the orange treats. "What's going on?"

"He's only mad because I brought him home early. I have a lot of studying to do," Ichiji answered, indicating his open book.

Niji scoffed, debris leaving his mouth in a messy shower. "What _ever_ , you alien! You probably have that entire thing memorized! You're only putting on a show of some type, and I demand to be let in on the joke."

"It's no joke. Besides, sitting there had grown boring, and I didn't want to wait any longer."

Crunching noisily, Niji stared at him with suspicion before reaching out and closing the door behind him, making sure he left a handprint behind. Once he was alone, Ichiji stared into space for a few moments, wondering how tomorrow would go.

The next day, Sanji waited for Garp to be distracted by his class's activities – something involving wild flailing over a ball on the football grounds – and caught sight of Law standing off to the side. Occasionally he'd lift an arm to reach out to catch the ball, then drop it with a disinterested look once the group veered in his direction like a school of fish. Sanji had no idea what sort of physical activity this was rated as, but the other student was too far away for him to call out to or to even catch his attention. Frustrated, he returned to the main building but slipped a note into Law's locker before returning to class.

At lunch he raced from class to go find him at their usual spot. Law's face was tired, but he revealed nothing as Sanji hurried up to him.

"Everything okay?" he asked immediately, swinging his bag off his shoulder and tossing it to the side, eyes scanning over him for any sign of trouble.

Law studied him for a bit, then shook his head incredulously. "I should be asking you that."

" _Well_? How did it go? Did it go – did everything – were you able to decide?" Worried, Sanji then said, "It shouldn't matter. What matters is that you come back to school after this weekend! You really need to finish, you can't just let it go because there's nothing out there for you if - !"

"I told them I'd go," Law interrupted him. Sanji paused in mid-breath, processing that for a moment before blurting out, "You'll go with them? You'll stay? They'll move here? When will this happen? Are you sure? This is something you want to do, right? It's not like – well, you should because - !"

"Honestly, _breathe_ , Sanji," Law told him with some concern, seeing how red built up in the other boy's features. He reached out for his hands, examining the one Ichiji had twisted so viciously the night before. "It…did…is everything - ?"

"He didn't say anything!" Sanji snapped out, feeling off-kilter with the way Law took his hand so gently, causing him immense fluster. He lost his earlier train of thought, watching as his hand was examined intently. His face flushed for a different reason, and he took it back just to settle his racing heart, feeling light headed. He rubbed his hand not to erase the sensation of Law's touch, but to feel more of it.

"He didn't say anything," he repeatedly dumbly. "And I couldn't say anything because - ! But that's great! That's great, I'm so happy for you!"

Law watched him awkwardly for a few moments before he reached for his cigarettes. He lit two before passing one to Sanji, Sanji sucking in nicotine with a hard inhale that made him cough heartedly for a couple of minutes. Together the pair just stood there, each with their own thoughts on the matter, hearing the sounds of voices behind them. Sanji could tell Law was unsettled – he could feel the weight of the other teen's heavy decision still whirling like a tornado through his thoughts, and he wasn't sure what to say. It felt like both of them were standing at the edge of some precipice, without any hope of moving back or forward to save either.

Glancing at him from the side of his eye, Sanji finished his cigarette and put it out on the dirt before rising. Law drew in a shaky breath as he mirrored the action. He said, "It won't be easy. Leaving Rosinante."

Sanji felt for him, but another part of his mind was determined to prove that getting away from Doflamingo was the best Law could do for himself. The man that Law cared for would just have to understand this. He was sure Rosinante did – he could not forget the way the disabled man cared for Law.

"I'm sure he understands," he mumbled, fiddling with his cast. "This is something you have to give your all, to. Something stable."

Law looked at him, his hands falling into the pockets of his slacks. He kicked at the dirt at the feet with the toe of his shoes before saying, "Maybe. But at least I have a backup in case something doesn't work out."

"You have to _try_ ," Sanji repeated, a little too insistently. "Just…you can do it."

"And what about you?" Law asked him, turning to face him. "With your dad and all?"

Sanji shrugged. "Ichi's holding this over my head, I know it's for something; he didn't tell on me last night, so I need to talk to Zeff, see if I can still have my job, but I have no doubt he's holding it back to use against me. I think what…what matters, for me, is that…you're okay."

Law exhaled shakily. He worked his jaw from side to side, feeling overwhelmed for a moment. Incredulous that this crazy kid, despite his own dangers, could still find it within himself to hope for him. Someone like him, who had done nothing to inspire any sort of strength or hope or want in anyone.

After a few moments he said, "You'd be better off at your mom's, than staying here with him. After last night – "

"I don't feel that way – "

"After seeing _that_ last night, it only proves me right! Sanji, you keep saying it won't progress from this, but last night – Lainy was…she told Zeff that you'd gone home because of your brother. She was…really upset."

Sanji figured she would be. The woman wouldn't be used to 'boys that were boys' and he supposed it could be frightening to someone else that had never walked in those kinds of shoes, before. He thought it was rash of her to be distraught, and a little upset himself for even thinking lightly of it. All that mattered to him was his job and Law's future. That was _all_ that mattered.

"So the old man knows? I hope he doesn't fire me for this…"

Law's lips thinned for a few moments before he mumbled, "She was going to make an anonymous report to child services – "

"Don't let her do that!" Sanji exclaimed with a horrified expression. He grabbed his arm with both hands, saying fast, "My dad will destroy them! He's got contacts, he has friends, he'll suck them dry of everything they're worth! Financially, their reputation – don't let them do this, _please_ , you have to talk them out of it!"

"I know the system's not perfect," Law said, jerking his arm out of his grasp, "and something like this is something that won't work. I told them you were moving, anyway."

Sanji chewed on the inside of his cheek with a heavy frown. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, but his feelings were intense and heavy, swirling around inside of him. Law looked at him, then reached out to wrap his arms around his shoulders and head, pulling him close. He could feel Sanji's heart racing against his chest, how his skin flushed with building anxiety. He could tell the other teen was upset about a number of things, but Law didn't have any power at all to fix them. He knew what uselessness and hopelessness felt like, and it seemed Sanji was feeling all these things.

"I just want you safe," he told him, unable to say anything more than that.

Sanji could hear his feelings in his voice, feel the want in Law's hug. It felt so unfamiliar to know that someone felt these things for him, for someone that had made an enemy of most of his peers and didn't have a kind hand within his own family. So he melted into the touch, not wanting to let go of it.

: :

 _Dramatic_ , Ichiji thought with a bitter frown, watching them from a window near the staircase. Whatever it was they spoke of, the pair of them looked desperate to hold onto each other. Weren't they aware that teenage romances were only made more intense by the cause of burgeoning hormones? That this memory would fade as interests shifted and time proved that these things they were going through was nothing but a stepping stone?

It was irresponsible of Sanji to keep himself fluttering in the wake of whatever personal problems Law was going through; there was nothing either could do for each other. They were _kids_. Stupid high school kids brought together by convenience and circumstance; but this tarnish would not fade with time like their romance. It would follow Sanji through life, be behind him with every step he took with Judge's guidance. A tarnish on their name and everything they stood for. Why did Sanji have to go out and be different?

He clenched his fists, feeling upheaval within himself. All because of this _boy_ , Sanji had to ruin what he had going for him, venture out of their designated goal zones, and challenge their father into threatening Sanji with living with his mother. Who wasn't successful, who lived with their daughter in a one bedroom apartment – who found surgery necessary for her confidence – with the world set out in front of him, Sanji had to ruin it because of this boy.

It made Ichiji seethe as he forced himself to draw away, not liking the sight of his younger brother being manipulated by a boy who had years of experience to draw in innocent victims. He was well aware of Law's birthday on Saturday; if he returned to school on Monday, there were laws that worked against him if he continued this relationship with Sanji. Ichiji wondered if any of them were aware of this.

Maybe he would have to include that in his plan.

He walked away, adjusting his glasses. Sanji made a mess of himself, but Ichiji would clean it up. Just as he did many times before this. For the family.

: :

After school, Sanji took the phone into his room and dialed up Baratie's to talk to Zeff. His heart thundered noisily as he hoped the old man would understand his position. Whatever Ichiji had in mind, Sanji couldn't let this opportunity slip away from him – he needed his job; to get away from his family, to feel needed, to be able to participate in something only he felt confident doing.

When Zeff answered gruffly, Sanji said, "I'm not fired, am I? I'm really sorry, my brother just threw a fit last night, I didn't have a choice! He caught me when I was taking out the trash, and I really want to work, I just - !"

"That's not the truth I heard, brat. Come clean with it, and I'll reconsider this pink slip," Zeff replied, interrupting him with a couple of coughs.

Rolling his eyes, Sanji said, "Well, the truth of it is that my brother's an asshole, and he shouldn't have been there in the first place, also - !"

"You went outside to play with your boyfriend – "

"Oh my god, he's _not_ my boyfriend!"

"Shut up when adults are speaking! That customer was very upset over what she witnessed, and if you're not here by six, I'm going to go over there and have a talk with your father about how horrible of a worker you are."

With that, Zeff hung up and Sanji sighed with relief, pulling the phone from his ear. He said a few silent 'thank yous' to whomever was listening and hung up. He finished his homework in record time – without the usual double checking of any possible mistakes – and dressed for work. After, he headed downstairs to see who was around to give him a ride. Yonji, Niji and Ichiji were sitting in the living room, two of them taking their time in getting ready for their own respective practices.

"Work?" Ichiji questioned with a lift of his brow. "They're letting you come back?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Yonji asked curiously. "He's a good slaveboy."

"Neehhhh ' _slave'_!" Niji repeated with a sneer. "You can do that sort of thing for free around here! Get to work, Cinderella!"

"I can't because dad said it made me gay!" Sanji snapped at him.

"HAH he admits it!"

"It's dad's fault, too!"

"Dad didn't have any part of this!"

" _Dad_!" Yonji bellowed. "Sanji says you're responsible for making him gay!"

" _Wow,_ that sounded like a bad porno plot," Niji commented with a lift of his brows.

"Ugh, what have you been abusing your Pornhub privileges for? Incest pervert," Sanji retorted.

After a few moments, Yonji gasped. "Dad! I take it back! You didn't!"

" _DAD_! Sanji's accusing me of bad things!" Niji hollered, throwing a pillow at his brother for good measure. "I don't do that bad stuff, I follow the rules in this house! I'm a fucking _angel_ compared to you jokes!"

"DAD! Niji's throwing stuff!" Sanji yelled, throwing the pillow right back.

"Dad's not even home, you retards!" Ichiji snapped at all of them, rising from the chair.

"Dad didn't make me gay, anyway," Sanji scoffed, tying on his apron while Niji complained from the couch about not having anything to do. "It was my own damn decision."

"So, are you?" Yonji asked curiously. "Is this a direct confirmation?"

" _Oh my god_!"

"Yonji! Enough with the dumb comments!" Niji snapped. "We need to be serious, here. For one, he has a boyfriend. Our…family…"

"No, no, no, that's not how it works," Yonji interrupted over Niji's dramatic retching noises. " _Yeah_ , we like, said it was okay but it's really _not_ okay. I'm still having trouble accepting this! I don't mind stepping in like we've been doing, but I'm not really okay with this. It's still unfair! Why does he get to bend the rules?"

"I'll cover for you if you find a girl," Sanji told him. "It'll be our secret."

Yonji looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"He can't find a chick!" Niji said with a roll of his eyes. "Everyone hates him because he's loud and dumb. No chick wants a loud and dumb guy."

"I'm not dumb. I've got straight A's across the board!"

"Because everyone's afraid of you and dad!"

"Power should be respected, not feared," Yonji mumbled, looking at his hands. "Besides, I'm a total catch! I'm over six feet tall, I've got loads of muscle that I know what to do with, _if_ _you know what I mean_ …"

"Fucking virgin…"

"Shut up, Niji! You are, too!"

"I plan on losing mine to an older lady, with sophistication and class," Niji said. "Someone like Miss Nico. Female teacher and student relationships are in, lately. Haven't you been reading the news? What a great way to get caught! It's like having sex with a celebrity!"

"You're so gross," Sanji commented as Ichiji left them with a shake of his head. "Like that's something to brag about."

"Like _you_ have anything to brag about! What's so special about an extra dick? You already got one!"

"I take care of myself, I groom, I smell good, I can buy food whenever she wants," Yonji continued over them. "Memes these days – girls want food, not companionship! I can buy my chubby lady some food! Hell, that's hot! A girl that can eat like me - !"

"Why do you want a fatty? You'd have to pay for her healthcare."

"Obama does!"

"I hate you both," Sanji said with a shake of his head.

"Shut up! You think you're so much better than us because you got a job and a boyfriend!" Niji snapped at him. "You thought the same way as us awhile back, so don't act like your shit don't stink!"

"It does! I make sure it does! Especially if you're going in there after me!"

"Ugh, so _nasty_! I knew you were doing it on purpose!"

"I'd make a good boyfriend," Yonji sighed. "Girls have to not be so afraid. I'm afraid. I show vulnerability when it's needed. I can be nurturing and nice. Look at these hands! These hands are made for handholding, not for violence."

Sanji had to laugh as Niji looked at his brother with disgust.

"Are you sure you're not gay, either?" Niji asked, finding the remote to the tv.

"I'm quite positive. I'm surrounded by dicks. Why would I want another one? Sanji, you're mental."

"It's because I'm surrounded by dicks that I find myself comfortable around dicks," Sanji muttered bitterly. He hollered, "Hurry up, Ichi! I'm going to be late!"

"Besides, if you ever found a girl that doesn't mind your rotten protein smell, I'd die of shock," Sanji added, looking at his watch. " _Ichiji_! There's no need to fix your hair if you're just going to practice, anyway! Hey, you guys ever think about what he does for fun? Hugging on sweaty guys in pjs? He's basically _hugging_ guys to sleep – why don't you ever give him shit?"

"And Yonji mounts dudes in singlets for giggles," Niji snickered while Yonji frowned down at Sanji.

"And _you_ prance around in your underwear and call it 'swimming'!" Yonji pointed out. "If you think about it, we're _all_ goddamn gay! We're the gayest bunch at Grandline!"

Niji made to retort until he thought about it, and his mouth dropped open with horror. Sanji was tired of this conversation already, and snatched the keys from the hanger nearby.

"I'm driving!"

"No you're not! You can't drive! _I'm_ driving! ICHIJI! WE'RE LEAVING YOU!" Yonji bellowed, ensnaring his older brother within one arm and easily snatching the keys from his grasp while Sanji struggled. Niji was still shocked by earlier comments and slumped against the couch cushions with a groan.

When they left, Niji saw Ichiji making his way downstairs, shrugging on a sweater. Ichiji had heard everything while he was in his room, and he shook his head at his brother.

"I've got a headache in dad's place just from hearing all that stupid shit," he muttered, grabbing his phone and leaving through the front door.

In the silence left behind, Niji glared at the television screen. Without much to do and without his brothers around, Niji had to think about what had just transpired. He drew up his phone and found his browser, typing in a few questions to a popular question and answer board to find some much needed answers.


	30. Chapter 30

**30**

* * *

When Law came home from school that day, he immediately tended to Rosinante. The man seemed further away from him, barely responding to any stimuli in front of him. It seemed as if the new medication had left behind only a stranger that Law didn't feel comfortable with. Rosinante said nothing as Law prompted him to his feet, Sugar's excited barking from the yard reminding them that she shouldn't be forgotten. Guiding him into his wheelchair, Law waited for the man to settle into it then wheeled him into the bathroom. Half hour later, he settled him at the kitchen table and started making dinner. It took him awhile to say anything; last night's dinner scene had made him feel anxious.

He was going to do it – he was going to leave Rosinante for his parents; for two people that essentially knew nothing about him now; for two people that may or might not keep him after they learned what sort of person he truly was. He might be quiet but he had turmoil swirling inside of him, muddling his thoughts. What if he couldn't abide by their rules and what if they started expecting things from him, things he couldn't do? They wanted to pay for speech therapy, for psychotherapy, and was he ready to revisit things he'd glossed over just to get through to the next day?

What kind of person would he be a year from now?

He felt Rosinante's hand on his and looked over at the man. He realized he had been the midst of lighting a cigarette for him, but the ember had burned down to the filter. He quickly put that out and relit another one, struggling to think clearly.

"How did it go to school?" Rosinante asked him gruffly, his speech noticeably affected.

"It was good," Law answered. "Easy day. We played touch football in PE, today. It was pretty great. Everyone had a good time."

Rosinante blinked hard a couple of times, shoulders hunched as he clasped his own hands together. For a few minutes, Law wondered if he'd retreated back into his mind so he set the cigarette into the ashtray to burn. He made to get up to tend to the frying potatoes in the pan when Rosinante grabbed him again, causing him to sit.

"That's not what I asked," Rosinante said slowly. Law snatched up a few napkins and gently cleaned the spittle from his lip and chin. "Will they take you back?"

Crumbling the napkins in hand, Law hesitated to answer. It was a struggle to say anything when he was leaving this man behind for something better for himself. All the remorse and guilt he could ever feel built up in the pit of his chest and expanded outward. Rosinante looked at him, brow furrowed slightly as he took in Law's expression. Troubled, the man patted his hand clumsily.

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine," he reassured him before erupting into a slight coughing fit. Once he was settled, he said, "This was is wanted. Right?"

Law couldn't answer, silently cleaning around his mouth once more.

"Before the house out at eighteen," Rosinante said sternly, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. " _That's_ what I wanted."

It was a struggle because of the lump he felt in his throat, but Law asked, "Who's going to take care of you when I'm gone?"

"Be silly," Rosinante scoffed, reaching up to the table with shaking hands to brush at the pepper flakes there. Hitting them with the palm of his hand to get rid of the bugs. "I do."

"I might come back," Law made to assure him but Rosinante snapped, "You won't! Not here. You're not allowed back here! You understand? Not here. You've done your time, you leave from here and start again! You're not welcome back here."

Law used the crumbled napkins to ball into a tight wad before he set it aside. He left the chair to tend to the potatoes as Rosinante continued to grumble at the table, hitting at what he thought were moving bugs across the table top. As he used a spatula to turn over the potatoes, he heard Rosinante say loudly, "My brother will do so. Like always. So you're not needed here. Thank you for services."

Law wondered if the man was truly vehement in that he wasn't welcome back, or if this was his gruff way of reassuring him. He knew in his heart that Rosinante wanted the best for him; despite it, Law couldn't help but fret over the man possibly needing him. He was sure Doflamingo would be fine looking after his own brother but…

 _It wasn't forever_ , he told himself. When his parents decided they had enough or he had enough of their tries, then he'd be back.

When Doflamingo came home later that evening, he had a tired air about him. He pulled off his belt and keys and tossed them onto the table in the hall, making his way into the kitchen with a grumble about needing beer. Law had left behind some leftovers in a tinfoil covered plate, but it was unappetizing and cold. He threw that plate into the trash, fiercely annoyed about being fed 'leftovers' when he needed a hot meal. Something more fitting as the breadwinner of the family and not as the dog. He belatedly thought about Sugar, and grumbled as he dug out the contents of the plate, taking it outside to toss onto the lawn so she could sniff it out and get some exercise while she ate.

Once back inside, he tossed the plate into the sink and looked into the fridge. One thing he was sure about Law leaving them was that there would be more food left behind than there was, now. He swore the teen was eating everything Doflamingo bought; but at the same time, Law's appearance told him otherwise. Restaurant visits showed him a teen too stressed to eat, and Doflamingo had to tell himself to stop blaming the kid for every little problem that crossed his path. It was easy to put the blame on him, though. Law either took it or dished it back, depending on his mood, and Doflamingo needed that in order to remind himself of where they were, today.

It was hard to see straight, sometimes. With all of the stress piled up on his shoulders, Rosinante's disintegrating condition, the state taking away his foster care privileges, he was having a hard time holding his head above the water. He couldn't take his anger out any other way but Law made it convenient for him to snap. He found the pair in Rosinante's room, his brother being propped up in his bed while Law read some passages out of one of his favorite books to him. Rosinante looked as if he weren't even mentally present – it hurt Doflamingo to see those near lifeless red eyes staring off at something that wasn't even there, and it hurt him that he'd never have his younger brother back in a condition that was whole. His illness was worsening, the drugs stalling progression, but it was clear to him that his brother wouldn't return to him.

Law looked at him cautiously, recognizing the festering anger building up in the man as he lowered the book.

"Well?" Doflamingo asked, leaning against the doorframe. "What of it? They want you?"

"Yeah," Law answered tightly, folding the page's corner neatly in place to save it.

"Don't get comfortable," Doflamingo muttered. "Parents are finicky creatures. If you aren't up to standard, they have other options. Like animals from the local shelter."

"I know."

"You're nearly of age to make your own decisions, anyway," Doflamingo stated. "They won't have you for very long. People want kids, not useless rejects."

"People want rejects – look at me, comfortable in your home."

Doflamingo ground his teeth for a bit. This was his own fault – he was quite aware that he was unnecessarily taking his frustration out on the teen by goading him, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. When Law was gone, the house would be still; he would have to remain with Rosinante alone, but what source of comfort was he when he was always absent? Maybe Doflamingo resented Law leaving but at the same time…

"For the check," he reminded him tightly.

"Right, _right_ , that check goes pretty far here. Mostly for booze and restaurants," Law said bitterly.

Doflamingo mocked his speech, causing him to fiddle with the book with flustered fingers, feeling annoyed at the man's presence. "I fucking earned it! I have a right to purchase these things! If you were more useful, you could help out, too!"

"Go pass out," Law then told him firmly, scowling.

Glowering at him, Doflamingo said, "I haven't had a spot of alcohol, yet. There's nothing in the fridge! No dinner, no food – I get tired of sleeping on an empty stomach, don't you?"

"Obviously."

"Your parents will send you right back with that smart mouth. They're not going to want to deal with that damn impediment of yours. At eighteen, shouldn't you have control over it, yet? Doesn't it make you feel self-conscious, Law?" Doflamingo asked. "Speaking up in front of your peers this way, knowing they only ridicule you behind your back? How do you know you're not an internet sensation, yet? One of those…memes…"

"It's ' _memes'_ , you idiot."

Growling, Doflamingo hit the wall then left the room. Hearing him stalk away to the kitchen, Law cautiously waited for a few moments, glancing at Rosinante to see if he were conscious of this exchange. It felt like Doflamingo was going to snap, soon, and Law didn't want to ruin any chances of his possible return by burning any bridges. Whatever the man had to say or do, he would just have to take it. But he heard the fridge rattle with force, and then the back door slam – he tried to relax with a slow exhale, opening the book once more with shaking fingers.

He started to read again when Rosinante touched his leg to catch his attention.

"He's only upset," he said slowly, with a tongue that moved too thickly to form words correctly. It was all he said, Law wiping his mouth with a crumbled napkin and watching him with worry.

The next day at school, he was sitting with Sanji on the back steps of the auditorium when Smoker appeared at the bottom with an annoyed look. Both of them immediately put out their cigarettes with perplexed expressions, driven by reflex to do so.

"Why aren't you two eating?" Smoker asked crossly, hands at his hips. "That's what teenagers do, right? Eat a small family out of house and home? At your age, I was clearing out the cabinets!"

"I've been told I'm at the threat of having girlish hips," Sanji told him dryly.

"It's sub-sandwich day," Law said with disgust.

"With that attitude, you might be," Smoker told Sanji. To Law he said, "And just eat the meat, give your bread to someone who wants to eat it. Just eat _something_! Do you realize the less you eat and not nourish your body, you lose brain cells? Which is probably what you two want, considering the choices you've both made, recently. Listen, the reason why I'm here today is because it's time for you to move."

Both teens sat rigidly, unsure if they heard right.

"But…I only decided last night," Law said, his shoulders stiff. "Isn't it a process? They haven't even moved to this area, yet. You can't take me out of school for this."

"It's funny how you mentioned being taken out of school for something like _this_ , yet it was no problem not being on time at the start of the year," Smoker said, lighting up a cigarette, tossing the match aside. "Part of the unification process is a move right away – why dally? Everyone knows it was coming."

"I'm not ready. All my stuff – I haven't even packed. I have a test later on, I can't miss that," Law said, slightly panicked as Sanji gave him a worried look.

"Trust me, it's not going to take you long to pack. I even brought along some extras to help you out," Smoker said, pulling out a roll of black trashbags from his pocket. Law gave him a tired frown, Sanji glaring at the man.

"They're going to drive him to school, right? Each and every day? Pick him up? They're not going to just tell him he needs to jump on a bus and get dropped off to the closest drop off point, are they?" Sanji spit. "Or enroll him somewhere else for their convenience when this doesn't work out?"

"Calm down, killer, it's arranged. One of them will drop him off, another will pick him up. They took the day off to prepare for you. All that was needed was to complete the paperwork. Your room was already waiting for you long before they started this process."

Apprehensively, Law glared at him. He wasn't ready to do this – he needed to psyche himself up. Prepare all his options and practice what he needed to say and say his goodbyes to Rosinante. He felt like all the smoke he'd inhaled earlier had built up in his throat and caught there, and his legs refused to work.

"Well, let's go," Smoker said, flicking ashes to the side. A teacher called out to him, and he grumbled as he put the cigarette out upon command. "I'm eighty freaking years old, what does it look like? I have to follow these rules? This is bullshit."

"Why don't we do this afterschool?" Law asked, unmoving. "I have to go home to Rosinante. He needs to be taken care of."

"I already talked to the spider monkey about this this morning," Smoker said. "He's aware of it. He was making arrangements to have one of his friends take your place this afternoon. By the way, if you try and jump down from there to make a run for it towards that house, I have Hina and Tashigi parked in strategic places along the way to stop you. They're not afraid to tackle, either."

At the withering look he was given, Smoker glanced around before pulling another cigarette from his shirt pocket. He lit up as the bell rang noisily. Sanji looked to Law with concern, seeing the tendons flexing in his neck as he continued to sit there. He sat down beside him, whispering, "It's better this way. You can't overthink it. You just have to wing it."

With the thickness in his throat, Law couldn't say anything in response. He fiddled with the threadbare material over his knees, feeling panic edge up around his thoughts. Drifting into his bloodstream. Without Lamie there, it felt like a horrible place to be. It would be deathly silent without her happy voice ringing out, and his parents would be forcing themselves to be compliant and pleased, but everyone would be tense and stiff around each other.

On the other hand…he had agreed to this. He agreed to this because of the boy sitting next to him, his cast bumping into his arm as he fiddled unnecessarily with his own slacks, looking as panicked as Law felt. He looked to him, feeling all the emotions that Sanji was radiating for him. Not for himself – _for him_. Just as nervous and panicked as he, probably overthinking everything for him.

When Sanji realized he was looking at him, he turned his head to look back.

"The first step's always the hardest," Sanji reassured him on a low whisper, shuffling out of his bag to rip out a piece of paper from his notebook. He wrote hastily. "Besides, _make_ them give you a phone. You can call me. Everyone else has their phones, call me tonight, after nine. We can talk."

It was a small freedom, an even smaller reassurance.

"A computer, even! We can chat online! Skype, or something," Sanji said, brightening up at the idea. He passed him the slip of paper he tore away from his notebook. "He hasn't taken that away from me. Make them do that, too. Every kid needs computer privileges. And don't be afraid to dig in that fridge. You don't owe them anything, you already gave them what they want."

"Hey, what's being conspired up there?" Smoker asked suspiciously, catching sight of them.

Law took the slip of paper. It didn't make him as nervous as the thought of finally living with his parents, again. He crumbled it into his hand, then slipped it into his pocket.

"It's another home, but you know what to expect," Sanji told him as he shouldered his bag again. He gave a cautious look at Smoker, then hugged Law's head with a quick gesture before rising and moving down the steps. Sneering at the man, he said, "I thought you said you were going on a diet?"

"Can it, walking stick bug."

"Those greys look like they're spilling down your nose," Sanji said, squinting up at him. "Maybe you should grow a mustache to hide it. That's probably why you're single."

"I'm single because I'm too awesome to buckle myself down to one person, brat. Get out of here before I turn you in for skipping classes," Smoker threatened him.

"If you come back to Baratie's, I can tell them to give you the senior menu, instead. Those dentures look dangerous."

Smoker made to kick him, but Sanji scurried off as the tardy bell rang. By the time he straightened, Law was making his way down the stairs with an apprehensive look.

"You're not going to the executioner's," Smoker told him. "They're your parents. Like I said, Hina and Tashigi will meet us at Donquixote's house, and you can get your stuff. You can say goodbye to Rosinante privately."

Because he had nothing to say, Law just nodded.

At the house, while Hina and Tashigi made small talk with Jora, Law went to the room he shared with Rosinante and threw his things into one of the black trash bags Smoker had brought. It was annoying how right the man was – all of it fit in one bag. The rest fit into his backpack, and he stood there for awhile, taking everything in. He folded up his sleeping bag and set that aside, tucking the notes from Sanji into his trashbag. He felt restless as he looked over Rosinante's bed, over the pictures on the wall from a past life, of the closet that held the man's treasured wardrobe but were things he never wore again as his mind started drifting away. Walking to it, he flipped through the hangers, looking at all his oddly printed shirts, his jackets, the hats that were never worn. On impulse, he pulled a jacket and some shirts from the hangers and stuffed it all into his trashbag with a wary look at the doorway. Twisting the tie on tightly, he then grabbed his backpack and left the room.

Smoker took his things and left to take them outside, muttering about the kitchen's state of affairs. Law walked over to Rosinante, the man sitting in a listless position on one of the easy chairs. Jora and the other two ladies gave them some privacy as he crouched down next to him, touching his hand to catch his attention. But the man's eyes were on something far away, and Law wondered if he would even hear him.

"I'm leaving," he said low, grasping onto his arm with both hands. All the words that should have left him remained trapped in his throat as anxiety starting to strum through him once more. He bent forward to rest his forehead against Rosinante's arm, smelling the comforting scents of the man and traces of his last cigarette. He wished he was more attentive, this morning. He should have known that Smoker would do this – he should've, would've, could've.

But he told himself he would be back. It was inevitable.

He straightened up and hugged the man gently, Rosinante unresponsive to the gesture. Law wished he would do something; throw a fit, curse at him, say something about Spongebob, about Sugar. But nothing left the man's mouth. He wondered if Rosinante would even remember he was leaving. With a sense of heavy sadness, he straightened up from him, fixed his collar, then left the living room. After the front door closed behind him, Rosinante smiled faintly.

The ride across town made Law realize just how small of a town it was. It was just outside the distance to Grandline, so there wouldn't be too much of a problem getting to school. On the way there, Smoker reached back behind his seat and pulled out the bag that Lorenzo had given him weeks earlier. Law still didn't want to take it. He stuffed it into the trash bag without a word, Smoker giving him a look.

At a stoplight, he said, "Don't get comfortable in this house – they'd already secured another closer to your school. You've got to finish school, make it as far as you can after that. You've got parents who love you, who want to support you. Take advantage of it, kid. Not many kids have the opportunity like you do."

"Will all these stupid motivational speeches stop then?"

"No. I'll drop by from time to time to check on ya. Not as a worker," Smoker added. "But as a friend."

Law snorted at that, but he fiddled with the trashbag apprehensively. At the back of his mind, he wouldn't mind those visits at all.

"What plans do you have for your birthday?" Smoker then asked.

"Getting wasted for the first time. Soak it up with edibles from the local dispensary. Get bitches pregnant."

Smoker laughed. "HAH. You have a sense of humor, that's great!"

"It's not a big deal," Law muttered. "It's just another year."

"A complaint came into our office about your friend," Smoker said slowly, turning on his blinker before making a proper stop at a turn signal. "What's his deal?"

"It doesn't matter. He's moving in with his mom."

Smoker was glad to hear that. But it made him feel bad that one of the sure tethers Law had found strong enough to hold onto was going to be clipped too soon. In the short time that these two kids had known each other, Smoker knew more about Law than he ever did in the years he worked with him. With the way the other kid clung to him, Smoker was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. At the same time, having a kid removed from a potentially dangerous situation was always a plus in his book.

"Always knew there was something fishy about that group," he muttered.

When they pulled up to the house, Law drew in a shallow breath and exhaled shakily. The house was nice, with a yard that wasn't as kept as it should have been – just flowerboxes here and there where Lainy worked, and the obvious signs of a dog that lived there. His parents were waiting on the small porch, looking nervous as they drew away from each other, as if they had been in the middle of a pep talk. A large dog wagged his tail cautiously as he walked up to the edge of the stairs to watch Smoker's car pull up to the curb. At that moment, Law wished he had remembered to hug Sugar and tell her 'goodbye', too, wondering if she would miss him. He felt guilty for not thinking of her as he'd left.

"Sorry for the short notice," Lorenzo said as they climbed out of the vehicle. He rubbed his hands anxiously, Lainy holding onto the dog's collar with one hand. "I thought it would be easier if you could come here and figure out what you'd need so tomorrow would be a little easier."

Law wondered if it would get any easier. He didn't know what to say to the man, hiking his backpack over one shoulder and grabbing his trashbag from the back seat. He approached slowly as Smoker said something to them that he tuned out. The dog was a golden retriever mix, and he wagged his tail anxiously as Law walked up to him. He crouched to let the animal sniff him first, and the dog approached him with a friendlier air, taking in his scent with a wagging tail.

"I'm missing school," he said petulantly, rising to stand. "I had a test."

"They'll allow him to remake it," Smoker assured them, and Law felt too irritated to say anything else.

"This is only temporary," Lainy said as she indicated the yard. "I suppose you don't have to get used to it…the other house is closer to the school. It's a bit smaller than this one, but…we're ready to move. We started packing once we had the confirmation."

The dog nosed his hand, so Law petted him atop of the head as Lorenzo lead the way up the porch and into the house. Trashbag rustling noisily at his side, Law followed reluctantly, Smoker trailing behind him, yelping as the dog barked at him with warning. Lainy hurriedly grabbed his collar to control him, leading him with her into the house as Smoker pressed a hand to his heart.

The house was near immaculate – clean, modern, with an empty feeling. Law felt like he was looking at a model, finding it a clear difference from the cluttered mess he was used to at Doflamingo's. The rug was cream and bent gently under his weight, the dog leaving Lainy's side to run to its bed between two couches that faced each other. The cat was watching them from the kitchen counter, a fluffy, three-legged Persian with narrowed eyes.

Lainy said something about the clutter, but Law approached the cat without acknowledging her. The cat hissed at him, tail moving sharply in warning so Law figured he'd work on her approval later.

"Where do I put my stuff?" he asked interrupting Lainy in mid-explanation about the cat's name.

"Let's work on our attitude," Smoker told him gruffly. "You're going to be living here."

Law shrugged a shoulder as Lorenzo cautiously led the way towards a narrow hall nearby. "It's not the first," he muttered, Lainy fiddling with her fingers with a show of apprehension.

The room for him was located at the end of the hall, near a guest bathroom. It was nearly the size of Doflamingo's living room – with a queen sized bed, a large closet, a desk and empty bookshelf nearby. The view overlooked the backyard, with other houses visible just beyond that. It felt like he'd just walked into another house of its own. He reminded himself not to get used to it.

"This is only temporary," Lainy repeated nervously. "When we move, you can pick your room from there. We can buy whatever it is you need once you get comfortable. Clothes, books, something fun? Like…maybe a game console? A television? Your father loves his cable."

"Both of us, actually," Lorenzo said hastily. "That's what we like to do, relax in front of the television some nights."

"It's important that you can allow yourself to relax here," Lainy said. "Find things to do, find a show, maybe – if you're interested in gardening, we can work on the flowerboxes! Take some time to yourself, too."

It struck Law that for the first time in a long time he wasn't going to be busy. He wasn't going to be at the side of a man that needed total manipulation and assistance from room to room. When he came home in the afternoons, he wouldn't have to clean after Rosinante, cook for him, visit with him. The idea of being alone in the place without anything to do was overwhelming, and his jaw clenched tightly. His expression was hidden from the others as he frantically tried to reset himself. He dropped his bag at the foot of the bed as Lainy inspected the closet for the millionth time and Lorenzo sputtered aimlessly about finding activities to do in the evening.

Smoker stood next to Law, saying quietly, "It's gonna feel weird right now, but let it go. That man wanted you out of that house for your own good, and I know you know that. It's time to be a kid, Law. It's time you learn to be a kid."

Swallowing tightly, Law wanted to snap at him for even thinking he could be one again. But all his feelings were trapped in his throat. He shoved his hands into his pockets and felt the crumbled piece of paper there – Sanji's phone number. His fingers clenched around the paper, as if seeking strength from it. Admittedly, he felt better.

Smoker patted him on the shoulder, turning away from him. "This is all he has. You got room for it?"

Lorenzo looked at the black trashbag with dismay, Lainy puzzled as she closed the closet doors just to open them again.

"I'll unpack later," Law muttered.

That night, he waited for the clock over the kitchen sink to change hands, the slip of paper in his hand sweaty and twisted. In the living room, Lorenzo was snoring loudly on the couch while some housewives accused each other of various things, and Lainy was looking over her Sudoku puzzles with a concerned expression. Their dog, Panda, was twisted onto his back with his paws folded over him while the cat, Polar, was still glaring at Law from the kitchen table. He reached out to touch her when she hissed at him, tail whipping around in agitation.

The only landline was located in the kitchen – with cellphones, such phones were mostly obsolete. Its other major flaw was the overly long cord that prevented him from taking the phone anywhere for privacy. When he thought it was appropriate, he dialed the number clumsily, sneaking a peek at his mother, who was using white out to fix an answer.

There was a scuffle of sound at the other end, and Sanji's breathless answer as someone shouted in pain. A loud slam caused another scream, and Law had to pull the phone away to rub at his ear.

" _Sorry_ , Law, sorry! I just got home - GIVE ME A GODDAMN MINUTE! FUCK OFF! Okay, I'm back. Are you settled in?" Sanji asked, strangely breathless as someone roared with displeasure in the background.

Law started to answer when Sanji shouted again, "YOU TOOK MY PHONE AWAY! SO WHAT IF I GET A GODDAMN PHONE CALL? Nevermind about that, Law, are you in?"

"I am."

"Are you okay?"

"Not really," Law mumbled, glancing at his mother again and wondering if she could hear their conversation clearly with how loudly Sanji was talking.

"I'm glad you did it! I can't imagine what you're going through right now – do you have a computer? It'd be easier if we chatted on line because – "

Heavy breathing at the other end caused Sanji to sputter in outrage. A high falsetto asked if this line were busy, so Sanji said quickly, "I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

"DAD! SANJI'S TALKING TO HIS BOYFRIEND!" Niji screamed, losing the falsetto.

Law quickly hung up. As chaotic as that phone call had been, he felt better. It reminded him of what he was doing here in his parents' home. He glanced at his mother again, her brow still furrowed as she printed in neater numbers, whiteout still in hand. The cat hissed at him again, settling down onto the tabletop with its paws neatly folded underneath him. He looked at the cat, vaguely amused by its angry face. He wondered what happened to its missing leg, then rose up from the counter.

"Are you going to bed?" Lainy asked, as if startled to see him there. She lowered her glasses from her face as he walked by with a grunt. She frowned a little, trying not to feel down about the lack of progress with him so far. She heard him walk into his room and close the door behind him – the vague, quiet sound of the lock moving into place troubling her.

She hoped things would get better. She supposed time would make it easier.

* * *

 **RR** : Yep, finally! It's a little tough, though – I have so many LawSan versions it's switching gear into the correct versions that has me tripping here and there. Thanks for the suggestion with my laptop, but it's alright; my work computer has come in handy, haha! Ichiji has plans, and none of them are good – he's very intent on keeping the family name untarnished by silly things like teen romance. As for the homework scene, he was pretty rattled by his own impulse and needed something to calm himself – he's such an alien. These two have come a long way since the first chapter! It's crazy! There will be bumps until the last chapter because these things are never perfect, even if perfection is in reach – but it'll be interesting to see whether or not their teenage romance can survive the obstacles that is life.

 **Guesty** : Yay! I made someone happy! :D I can call it a 'day', then.

 **Naghi-Tan** : haha! Yonji's interests are food, girls, sports and food. He's always eating! If he can find a girl that eats as much as him, I'm sure he'll be in heaven. :D Thank you for your review, and hope you're doing well since the last we spoke!

 **Penumbra** : It was embedded in ice that is a broken laptop - I had these chapters near finished already, but I'm rewriting what I can remember of them. Hoping for the ending I wanted as a result! I'm happy you enjoy the VS siblings chaos – they're fun to write when they're in this state, not when they're being awful. They are very spoiled – sickeningly spoiled. Ichiji won't understand the connection LawSan have with each other, so because of that, he's going to destroy it in his family's name. D:

 **Fireofshandora** : Niji doesn't get much love because he's the jerkiest of them all. I can clearly see him as I write him, and…I like that evilness of his. XD Yonji's their laugh soundtrack to their shenanigans – it's important for these brothers to have a certain role to live their best life!


	31. Chapter 31

**31**

* * *

During free study the next morning, Law told Sanji bits and pieces of yesterday's move. He didn't elaborate on details nor offered anything extra in response to answers he gave to exhaustive questions, but he gave enough to indicate that while he was now in his parents' care. He still felt like it was only a matter of time. Leaning over his desk to hear him as Law mumbled his way through the explanation, the taller teen turned in his seat so that his legs were completely in the aisle, Sanji felt frustrated that he wasn't getting enough of the conversation to feel anything other than nervousness for him.

But the relief he felt with Doflamingo no longer present in Law's life made him feel a little better.

"At least that guy can't threaten you anymore," he murmured.

Law had to think about it, but he didn't say anything about feeling reassured of his own backup plan. "It's just his voice that sounds threatening," he mumbled, fiddling with his pen. "But leaving Rosinante – that's the hardest part."

"How are they acting? Any different?" Sanji asked of his parents.

"No…but it feels weird for a family to walk on eggshells around me," Law admitted.

Sanji could not imagine that sort of life; being welcomed into other people's homes, using their things, hiding voice and presence as much as possible to avoid becoming a bother. While he couldn't get into the depth of the experiences Law had, his limited way of thinking prompted him to think about how he'd behave around his mother and sister. He was sure he wouldn't be the same person – after all, his brothers motivated his way of action, thinking, and while Judge left him feeling he should always be tense for whatever verbal assault might occur, he couldn't imagine living in a house like the one Law left behind, where a man of that size could physically threaten him.

After a few moments he said low, "You're pretty brave, Law, you know that?"

Law gave him a bewildered look. " _No_."

"I just think you are," Sanji said with a light sigh, resting his chin on his cast while fiddling with his pen. His expression grew abashed. "I mean, I could stand there and shout all I want but you just walk in and – "

"It's not like I have a choice in these matters."

"Still…I think you're a strong person." Sanji examined his pen with a studious expression. Law watched him for a few moments, absorbing the compliment with some discomfort. He didn't feel brave nor did he feel strong, but the way Sanji gave it made him feel like he was all of these things. It was a different perspective for him. Setting the pen aside, Sanji then said, "But it's only temporary, right? Because they're moving closer to this school?"

"Yes." Law hesitated to ask, but since it was one of the more pressing questions on his mind, he asked, "And when…when do you think you'll…?"

"I don't know. Dad threatens it everyday, and – " Sanji cut himself off once something bounced off his head. Rubbing the spot, he looked over and saw Niji across the room sneering at him. Camie looked outraged, looking to Sanji with a distraught expression. Law looked down at his feet to see a bright orange package and he subtly lifted his foot away with discomfort. Sanji snatched it up with a curious growl, making the plastic package crinkle noisily. "What's this?"

Niji burst out into raucous laughter, Sanji huffing as he slapped it down on his desk.

" _Oh my God_!" Cami cried, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

Yonji whirled in his desk, trying to understand the reason behind his brother's raucous laughter.

"What is it?" Sanji asked again, picking it up and waving it in the air. He grew frustrated when others looked back at him, balked and started snickering. "Goddamn it, _what is it_?"

"He has a sister," Niji reassured everyone, but he couldn't stop laughing to finish his sentence. Yonji looked at him dumbly, but he chuckled just to appear as part of those that knew. Others started to laugh or chuckle, in disbelief over Sanji's reaction.

Because of the amount of attention coming his way, Sanji flushed while Law slouched in his seat, lips between his teeth. He waved the item in the air, then stood tall. "Mr. Hansen! My brother's trying to pass me a note in class!"

As kids laughed, Mr Hansen looked up from his book and saw what Sanji was holding. He wiped his face with irritation. "Sanji, put it away," he groaned.

"I don't even know what it is," Sanji protested, opening it while Law covered his mouth to repress showing anything. Once Sanji unveiled the bright white pad, he stared at it with a puzzled look before realization hit him. He stood up once again and threw it across the room back at his brother with a startled shout. Those close by erupted into laughs while Cami covered her face with embarrassment.

Niji jumped out of his seat to avoid being hit, Yonji's mouth falling open as he watched the pad settle over Niji's desk. He looked puzzled but because everyone else was laughing, he joined in noisily.

Koala stood from her seat with an outraged expression, snatching it up and refolding it back into the plastic packaging before she returned it to Cami. She sat back down, giving everyone an outraged expression. "Are all of you kidding me right now? How can you laugh at something like this? What, are you all _children_? Grow up! Mr Hansen, Niji obviously stole this from Cami's purse! Aren't you going to say anything about that?"

"This tiny girl has an opinion?" Niji asked as he sat, Sanji covering his bright red face with both hands. "Where was all this opinion when you were sitting in front of me?"

"All of you, quiet down!" Mr Hansen commanded. "Real childish, Niji. Sanji, I refuse to believe you didn't know what it was – both of you apologize to Cami."

"Oh my God, _don't_!" Cami cried, mortified to near tears. She stood from her desk, struggling to hold back. But she blurted, "I hate you guys! I hate all of you!"

She stormed out, Koala looking after her with worry as Mr Hansen wiped his face again. Niji giggled, resettling in his seat while Yonji turned around in his, still wearing a puzzled smile. Sanji slunk low in his, drumming his fingers atop of the desk while he considered the moods of those around him. Some were still wearing humorous expressions, others struggled not to look at each other. Koala glared at both of them before sitting back down.

Law looked back at Sanji, examining his face and finding him with a remorseful air.

"You're such a retard," Niji told him before turning back around in his seat.

After the class returned back to their subjects in front of them, Law said low to Sanji, "It'll be easier starting over without those guys."

Sanji looked at him, then shrugged as a response. He could see some of their classmates looking in his direction with snickers and wasn't even sure what to say. After class, he headed to his locket to exchange a few of his texts when something flew into his open locker just over his head. He looked in to see a smaller pink package similar to the one he'd handled in class, and whirled around to confront whoever it was that had thrown it. With such an active hall, no one stood out to claim responsibility. He picked it out and threw it onto the floor to finish doing what he was doing, huffing with some embarrassment. He looked up when someone tapped on his shoulder, turning to see a grinning Jango holding the pad between two fingers.

"You dropped this," he snickered, throwing it back into Sanji's locker. Sanji retrieved it and threw it back at him, but it didn't carry enough weight to chase after the senior. Jango and Fullbody laughed as they continued on, but the faces of those that had seen the confrontation were snickering with amusement.

Flushed, Sanji slammed his locker shut and hurried away from there. He found his brothers on a landing on the other side of the building, so he bullrushed Niji, slamming him into the wall with a frustrated curse. Niji cried out with surprise and made to attack back when something in his side caused him enough pain to stop in mid-action, reaching for the area. Ichiji and Yonji looked at him with surprise as Sanji snapped, "You made me look like an idiot! Now they're throwing this stuff at me and laughing about it!"

"About _what_?" Ichiji asked as Niji hunched over with pain, Yonji looking at him with complete bewilderment.

"First period! Stupid ass here threw someone's _pad_ at me! I didn't know what it was!" Sanji exclaimed. " _How the hell_ am I supposed to know what those things are? There's no girls at the house, I didn't know!"

Ichiji wrinkled his brow as he processed this, Yonji's face lighting up moments later. He slapped his knee as he laughed. "HAH! People think you need a pad!" he laughed at Sanji.

"SHUT UP! You didn't even know what it was, either!"

" _Hello_? I'm hurt!" Niji snapped at all of them, still holding his side. "I think he broke something!"

"Just your goddamn pride! I got you good!"

Sanji strode off after a cautious glance back at Niji, who remained in the hunched position, Ichiji looking from one to the other with a frown. Yonji cleared his throat, opening a bag of Skittles and retrieving an empty water bottle.

"I don't think I'm going to touch this one," Ichiji decided, looking to Niji. "If you started this, then it's fitting it ends like this. He gets embarrassed, you get busted."

"Why you sticking up for him? I was supposed to return to practice in another week!" Niji snapped at him. "If he busted something and I can't swim for the rest of the season, I'm taking it out on everybody!"

Ichiji shrugged. He honestly had nothing to say at this time – girls were so secretive with their menstrual cycles that even he was unfamiliar with the items in mention. But he was also aware that the humiliation would linger with Sanji because kids wouldn't forget this sort of thing. As far as he was concerned, their younger brother would get the worst of this attention while Niji healed from his injury. Both of them brought it upon themselves.

He gave Niji a disgusted look as the bell rang, causing kids to rush to their classes. "I can't believe you allowed him to hurt you like this. Serves you right. I have no sympathy for you."

"Damn. _Cold_ ," Yonji commented as Ichiji walked away, leaving Niji to look after him incredulously. He looked to Niji and shrugged, spitting rainbow colored saliva into his water bottle as he then walked off to his next class. Rubbing his side Niji hobbled towards his, cursing Sanji the entire way.

At lunchtime, Law watched as Sanji approached him with an angry look to his features. "Still?"

"Well, apparently I broke Niji's ribs, that big baby," Sanji muttered bitterly. "I don't know, he was being dramatic. Called dad, dad came and got him, they're making a trip to the hospital."

Law wondered where Judge's money truly went – it seemed that all of his kids were taking a trip to the emergency room for one thing or another. To have that sort of access to healthcare was extremely convenient; he couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a hospital or dentist since Lainy passed away.

"So dad's pissed at me, but not at Niji for starting it in the first place."

"What's your mom like?" Law asked, handing him a cigarette.

"Your parents will let you smoke these?" Sanji asked instead, looking at him skeptically.

"That's one of the rules," Law muttered around his, smoking drifting into his eyes. "They want me to stop."

With obvious reluctance, Sanji passed the cigarette back to him. "If that's so, then you better savor every one."

"It's just one. Take it. You need it right now."

Sanji held it in mid-air for a few moments then took it back, taking the lighter Law handed to him. After the initial rush, he stared up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by. Law watched him. If the younger teen left, what would he do without him? Return to hanging around quiet places with only himself for company? He would lose his voice again. He felt a returning buildup of thick anxiety return to his throat, and he removed his cigarette to cough, Sanji looking at him with concern.

"I guess it's only a matter of time," Sanji said with a sigh, shielding his eyes. "What are you going to do without me? Close up again?"

Law shrugged. The anxiety in losing another person he felt close to felt suffocating. A sort of abandonment that made it hard to think about – but as he looked at Sanji, his ugly haircut and cast standing out against his stiff uniform that he kept in pristine condition and worried over constantly made the feeling a little less painful. He could smell that shitty cologne he wore, his nose tingling despite the smell of shared cigarette smoke. That scent would always make him smile.

"Is it going to happen soon?"

"I don't know. It's just…hanging there." With some hesitation, Sanji reached for his hand, and was relieved to feel the older teen's fingers immediately threading through his.

After some minutes of silence, he confessed, "I'm scared, too. What if they can't deal with me, either?"

Law didn't want to think about that. After all he went through, he didn't want to see other people turning this kid away like they did with him. He didn't want to see this noisy spirit diminished by the weight of social pressure and family expectation. With the way Sanji spoke of his mom, it felt like it would be a completely different environment. But without brothers to cause problems and without a father that expected too much, maybe life would be simpler for Sanji.

"Just fit in," he told him.

Sanji wondered if that were even possible. He inhaled the last of his smoke and tossed it aside, forgetting about the warning signs posted around them. He shifted his bag around to rustle through it as Law picked up his filter, packing both into his pocket to toss later. Sanji withdrew a couple of sandwiches wrapped with lettuce only and passed them to him as the bell rang.

"Zeff wanted to know what you thought of these," he said gruffly, Law taking them hungrily, unwrapping one to immediately stuff into his mouth. He was pleased with the flavors that burst over his taste buds, unsure of what it was he was eating. Sanji told him on the way back to the school, excitedly explaining how the meat was cut and cooked, what spices were used, how the vegetables were drained to remain juicy yet firm to allow the sandwich to retain its shape.

As they were walking in, Ichiji appeared like a shadow from a bunch of freshmen, giving Law's eating a disgusted look before looking to Sanji. He held his phone out to his younger brother. "Call dad immediately."

Sanji rolled his eyes, rejecting the phone. "What _ever_. I'll hear it when we get home. I'm sure he'll have plenty of say then. So, are they broken?"

"Niji has bruised muscles, exacerbated by your contact. He will be out for the remainder of the swim season," Ichiji stated coldly, pocketing his phone.

"With the way he was going, he would've been off, anyway," Sanji scoffed. "I don't feel bad for him. He started it."

"Whatever happened in that classroom was made worse by your efforts," Ichiji told him. "You didn't have to rise up to his challenge, and yet you did. You always make things worse."

"Instead of placing the blame all on him, it was your brother who reached into that girl's purse to take out that item," Law said with a full mouth, so his impediment wasn't as clear. "With how she holds that purse, it wasn't impulsive. The fault's all on him."

"Don't even try to talk to me," Ichiji told him. "You're not worth the effort."

Sanji kicked him in the shin with the toe of his shoe. "Shut up, alien. I'll just see dad when I get home. And I'm not apologizing for what I did to Niji, he deserved it."

Ichiji reached out and stopped Law from walking away when they turned away from him. Law jerked his arm away from him, still chewing.

"What are you going to do when he's not here?" Ichiji asked him with a faintly concerned tone. "Without him here as your buffer, you're going to suffer our company."

"Leave him alone, Ichi," Sanji said, stepping between them.

"I rhymed…ha ha. See, I can be funny, too," Ichiji said flatly before turning away and walking off. Sanji shuddered as he watched his older brother go, looking back at Law. The older teen had stopped chewing, frowning heavily as the question weighed on him.

Though all of them had been frightening in the beginning, things had changed since then. Now that he'd grown comfortable with their efforts, knew what their buttons were, Law didn't feel the same kind of fear he'd felt back then. In a way, he felt okay with the matter. They'd pick on him for awhile then eventually lose interest because their catalyst wasn't truly there – it was Sanji they truly bullied.

"Don't show them any fear, I'm not going anywhere, yet," Sanji assured him. But he reached over to hold his hand again, his hot, sweaty palm speaking oppositely of his reassurance. Law couldn't finish the rest of his sandwich, rewrapping it carefully and holding the other tightly under one arm.

Before they could do anything, laughter started ringing out as someone made their way through the throng, causing attention. Once Luffy, Ussop and Zoro made themselves visible, it was plain to see why everyone was laughing. Luffy had a pad pressed over his forehead like a wet cloth, Ussop wearing his like an eyemask, completed with rubber bands. Zoro just looked mortified hanging around the two.

"Hi guys!" Luffy greeted cheerfully, his black hair stuck to the pad's glue from the back, giving him a disheveled look. "I heard about the period incident. This isn't just a men's issue, this is a women's issue. Nami thought it was stupid that people are embarrassed about it, and thought we should bring up justice for period pads. I don't know, I wasn't paying much attention, I just wanted to do this. I saw it on a video, once. It looked great!"

"If we can get it out there that pads are nothing to be embarrassed about, we can get _all_ the girls," Ussop hissed with a determined grin. "Feminism is _in_."

"I'm not involved in this," Zoro said tightly, looking sweaty.

"You guys are stupid," Sanji commented, releasing Law's hand. "Making a joke out of yourselves because of that – you're just going to be teased for the rest of your life."

"Not really, I don't agree with you," Luffy told him before spying the sandwiches Law carried. His eyes lit up. "Hey, what are those? Oh! _Sanji_! Dinner the other night was great! We had a great time! The food was amazing! Sabo was mad about something, I don't know, but I couldn't find you after so – great job! I'm so glad you have that job, we want to go there again! I think Garp and that old guy are friends, they kept cussing at each other. That's usually a great sign."

As their classmates giggled and took pics of them in passing, Sanji inched away so he couldn't be a part of their group. Luffy slapped a hand on his forehead, the sound muffled by the pad there.

"This is a great bandaid," he declared. "It smells fresh, too! Like flowers!"

"We're passing these out…feminism!" Ussop declared, passing out brightly colored pads from his bag, girls taking them with a giggle while boys stared at them with disbelief. "We're all for feminism! Periods are real, it's all natural! We can't be afraid of them! Why are we boys so afraid? We shouldn't be!"

"Girls bleed for days and don't _die_ ," Luffy hissed to Sanji behind one hand. "Meanwhile, _I_ bleed and cry and whine until it goes away! It gets intense!"

Down the hall, Koala and Nami were passing out pads from her bag, Koala denouncing boys' attitudes towards periods. With how big of a show they were building, it looked very likely that Sanji's gaffe from this morning would be forgotten and smoothed over.

The boys wandered off to join them, hollering for equal rights, Zoro following with a miffed frown. Sanji looked after them with bewilderment, seeing how easy it was for them to be so blasé about the entire subject. He couldn't imagine adapting their cheerful attitudes and outlook towards life for such things, and for a moment he was envious of them. After a few moments, Law bent and kissed him, surprising him out of his reaction.

"What was that for?" Sanji asked with a blazing red face.

"You're making friends, and I'm happy for you," Law told him, urging him to go to his next class.

"Making 'friends'? How is that even possible?" Sanji asked with a bewildered tone, following alongside him.

: :

After school, Sanji saw that Judge was home and gave a nervous exhale. He could feel himself tensing up for the inevitable confrontation, rolling his shoulders to ease out the tension. Yonji snickered, looking back at him from the passenger side seat, Ichiji carefully putting the vehicle in park, administering the emergency brake.

"You're in trrrroouu _bbbllleee_ ," Yonji said with sing-song, all of them getting out of the car.

"Whatever, I get blamed for everything, anyway," Sanji sighed.

"Don't you ever tire of it?" Ichiji asked him, all of them trudging up the front walkway to the house. "What is in it for you? Having father mad at you all the time, it must get exhausting."

"I'm so used to it, I don't even care anymore."

Ichiji shrugged because it seemed very true at this point; Sanji had lost his determination to win Judge's approval with every action he took independently. No longer was he so obsessed with his grades, his behavior or his future based on Judge's expectations – he still spazzed from time to time, but he seemed…happier. If that were possible for Ichiji to believe because he found it hard to approve of Sanji's choices. It made Ichiji stumble mentally – because if he couldn't reach him through threats of their father's involvement or punishment, if he had already accepted being shipped to their mother's, leaving them and his boyfriend behind, then what else could Ichiji reach him with?

Even if he continued his plan on exacting revenge against that troubled kid, Sanji would just move on with his own life in a different location.

Having no control over the situation left him feeling grumpy. But maybe there was still a chance he could interfere to set Sanji on the right path…

When they walked in, Judge rose up from the couch to greet them, Niji laying on the chaise lounge with packs of ice on his ribs.

"Big baby," Sanji sneered at Niji.

"What's the meaning of this?" Judge asked him before Niji could reply, Ichiji and Yonji hurriedly scrambling from the possible warzone that was about to erupt. "How could you do this to your own brother? Ruin his chances of a successful future?"

"With _swimming_?" Sanji asked, unshouldering his bag. "Swimming will take him places? What about being less of a shitty person?"

"The only reason _why_ I'm a shitty person is because I'm attacked all the time!" Niji spoke up crossly, sitting up gingerly. "You attacked me when I wasn't even looking!"

"You knew what that was about!" Sanji snapped back.

"You caused a ruckus in class with your thoughtless actions, then take it out on Niji?" Judge interrupted.

"I didn't start it, Niji did by stealing that thing from a girl's purse!"

"Whichever, it was up to you to make a responsible decision based on your brother's behavior, and you only made it worse because you embarrassed yourself," Judge stated with a severe frown. Sanji rolled his eyes.

"So _he_ doesn't get in trouble at all?"

"You took him out of his athletic activities, which will cause some trouble on his college applications! The injury would have been fine if it were gained from the activity, but it was by your own selfish actions. Apologize to him."

" _No_ ," Sanji said firmly. "I refuse to apologize for something that wasn't my fault to begin with."

"Dad!" Niji protested in response.

Judge glowered down at his third son, Ichiji and Yonji watching from a safe distance. "No remorse for the damage done to your brother? You have absolutely no sympathy – "

"NO ONE HAD ANY SYMPATHY FOR BREAKING MY ARM!"

"Is that what this is about?" Judge snapped over Sanji's shout. "Is this petty revenge for something that happened on accident?"

"' _Petty'_?"

"That was an accident, Sanji, and it's a nothing to take personally. You boys fight all the time, why is this so shocking to you? If you had tried a little harder to not have a limb broken, this wouldn't have happened."

" _Unbelievable_!"

"But interrupting your brother's studies to administer injury that would eliminate him from the swim team? That's unbelievable! You have every opportunity to hold yourself back and have a conversation later – " Judge sputtered as Sanji turned and picked up his bag to walk away, flipping Niji off as he headed up to his room. "I'm not done speaking here!"

"I'm done listening. This is bullshit. He started it, I ended it, and that should've been the end of it," Sanji said over his shoulder. "I'm doing my homework and I'm going to work."

"You'll not step foot outside this house, tonight," Judge barked after him. "I am removing you from that job!"

Sanji whipped around to look at him fiercely. "You can't do that!"

"I am your father, if I find this punishment is necessary, then it's done!" Judge bellowed back. "If Niji is held back from his activity, then it's fair that you are held back from yours."

" _Bullshit_!"

"Don't talk back to me!" Judge shouted, growing red in the face as he started towards the steps, fury indicative of every step he took. Incredulous to see his father stalking after him, Sanji froze while the others stilled with horrified expressions of their own. "Your insolence has been progressively worse as of lately, and it appears that any punishment I administer has not worked to diminish that attitude! If you can't see fit to abide by my rules, then what makes you fit to stay here any longer?"

"The only reason _why_ it has is because you're so full of shit all the time!" Sanji shouted at him, unmoving from the step while his father towered over him. "You're never happy with me, so anything I do that isn't what you find acceptable is - !"

"If you were more competent to follow my simple expectations, I wouldn't have any problem with you!" Judge shouted back at him. "But as a simpleton, you find every reason to fuck up any chance you might have to rise to my expectations! Your brothers are exceptional because they try – you don't!"

"I _always_ put effort into everything I do, and _none_ of it was good enough for you! I could never please you!"

"And it's because of this we are where we're at, now," Judge said low, bending slightly to face, still two stairs down from him. "This incident further proves to me that you aren't worthy of my expectations. You clearly don't want a successful future, and you don't find yourself a worthy exception to my low standards. Your continued efforts to challenge my devotion and my temper speaks high of your own shitty levels failure. You want a future like your mom? Dumped into some small, low-class apartment on minimal income, surviving on less appealing things with no chance of success for class and reputation? I can arrange that."

" _Good_ ," Sanji retorted. "Because living here hasn't done anything for me but teach me just what a waste of time it has been!"

Inhaling deeply, Judge frowned at him for several long moments, then reacted. He reached out to grab his arm, striding up the stairway with him trailing behind him. Shocked at his father's actions, Sanji stumbled after him with startled protests while his brothers looked on with stunned faces. Once in his room, Judge released him. He snatched up the laptop on his desk and smashed it onto the floor.

"A waste of time? A waste of _money_!" Judge bellowed at him, opening the device to slam it at the edge of the desk, keys flying out and glass shattering over the desktop. After it was destroyed to his satisfaction, he threw the pieces across the room, then reached out and swept everything on top of the desk onto the floor. "I gave you everything you could ever need to succeed, and you repay me like this? _With insolence_?"

Furious, Sanji shouted at him, "That's your own shit anyway! You paid for that, that's your own goddamn fault!"

Ripping apart his name brand headphones, Judge tossed those as well. Then reached out and pulled his bookshelf to the floor, wood creaking noisily as books flopped noisily in a pile in front of it.

"You're cleaning this up!" Sanji screamed at him as his father went to his closet and began pulling out clothes.

"You want to live poorly? Then you'll look the part!" Judge shouted at him.

With horror Sanji watched him tear apart shirts, causing him to dart forward to try and at least save something as his father's temper exploded. Judge shoved him aside, so Sanji caught himself hastily and reached out to pull sweaters from his grasp before he could tear into those as well. He ended up hitting his father with his cast as Judge whipped his arms about to dislodge him, and the impact stunned him enough to stop.

Sanji froze, holding his saved sweaters close to his chest as he realized what happened. He turned to gain some distance when he felt an overwhelming shift in tension, and felt Judge grab him by his school sweater. He was whipped off his feet, losing footing as Judge screamed out, "And you dare lift a hand to me? _Your own father_? You dare strike at me like I'm one of your brothers?"

" _It was an accident_!" Sanji protested as he struggled to sit up, unable to stop his father from suddenly stomping down on his casted arm. Fear and horror caused him to scream out with terror as plaster cracked noisily under force, and pressure caused agony to race up that limb.

"This, too, was a _waste_! _Everything_ I've given to you was a _waste_!" Judge shouted at him, using his heel to grind the broken plaster down onto the slightly atrophied limb, pushing Sanji to the side as he made to shove the bigger man away. He lifted his foot to kick when Yonji inserted himself between them, grabbing onto his brother with both arms and pushing away from Judge. Once the red haze started to ease away, Judge caught his breath harshly. He looked around the room to see the damage he'd caused, then at the faces that looked at him with apprehension.

Caught, he stepped back, completely white in the face. Several seconds of intense silence rang out, books fluttering to settle onto the floor while hangars danced in the aftermath. The floor creaked as he realized what he did, looking back at his sons again. Niji was standing in the doorway with a stunned expression, Ichiji expressionless as he watched his father.

Swallowing tightly, Judge turned away, brushing off his clothes with shaking hands.

"Clean this shit up," he said gruffly, the boys at the doorway parting to allow him space to leave.

Shocked silent, Sanji said nothing as Yonji pushed away from him, looking immensely troubled. He walked out from the room to go to his, the door shutting behind him. Niji was without anything to say, surveying the mess with his mouth open, but he turned and walked away. Ichiji watched Sanji sit up, clutching the broken cast to his stomach with a heavily stunned expression.

Ichiji swallowed tightly. Speaking low, he said, "Even if you say anything, father's a respected attorney – bringing more strife to this household would do nothing to benefit you with the reputation he's built, and our own success, considering it's our word against yours. It's best just to keep quiet about it, or go to mom's."

Sanji listened to him speak, but the words weren't processing. He rose unsteadily, his legs shaking so badly that he felt he hadn't any control over himself. So he sat again, staring at the mess covering his floor. Numbly, he rubbed at the broken material around his arm, pain not yet registering with him due to the adrenaline. His throat was tight, tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth – his stomach in knots. He didn't have the energy to say anything.

* * *

 **A/N** : Ahh…that was tough to write. Sorry. Especially after my 'Old Souls' update. DX

 **RR** : Rosinante didn't want Law there – he wanted him to 'be a kid', and even if his mind was leaving him, this was his one true want. It didn't go the way either wanted, but it happened. D: Law is still settling into the house, and he brings along with him his learned idiosyncrasies from living in other people's houses. It's something that his parents will have to further live with. More to come about that. Doflamingo is a scary guy on the verge of something, but after this chapter, who is the lesser of father figures? Ugh…I feel bad, but it came out almost the way I'd written before!

 **Naghi-Tan** : LOL it does, huh? Bonny would eat him right out of the field, though, no doubt about it. Things will start to improve for Law – slowly and surely but it's well needed after all he's been through! After this chapter, Sanji definitely needs space from his family. D: I'm glad you're doing better! Take care of that wound!

 **Guest** : Ooh, I'm so sorry D: I'm continuing it but it's still so intense! It's almost done :D


	32. Chapter 32

**32**

* * *

Later that night, while dinner left a heavy feeling in his stomach, Law watched the clock again. He had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his chest that wasn't allowing his food to settle properly. Lorenzo was snoring in his chair again, Panda rested over his lap like a living throw blanket, while Lainy looked puzzled over a book she held. Polar was watching Law from the end of the counter, eyes narrowed as her tail whipped back and forth with warning.

Lainy kept glancing at her son, who sat near the phone with a sense of guarding the device, as if waiting for someone to tell him he wasn't allowed to use it. It hurt her to see that he still tiptoed around them, silently taking to the kitchen and his room without saying anything to them unless prompted to do so. But he watched the clock and the phone in alternate action. She tried not to pay too much attention and give him some privacy, but she was so grateful to have him back that she could not help but notice everything.

Settling at the house was something he didn't do – he continued to dig his clothes out from the trashbag he hadn't unpacked, and when Lainy had ventured into the bathroom he used, she noticed that he hadn't any toiletries; she'd bought some while buying groceries, flustered over the selection in front of her, unsure of what appealed to teenage boys. He wasn't helpful in that department when she'd returned, showing him what she'd bought – just grunted and nodded his thanks. She wondered if this was only because he himself wasn't sure what he wanted, based on what he _could_ have. It was completely disheartening for her to bear; she and Lorenzo had created this boy, and none of them knew a thing about him, now. So it was comparable to having a roommate or a ghost in the house with them.

She focused hard on her book as he picked up the phone and dialed carefully. She made a mental note to encourage Lorenzo to pool together for a phone of his own – but a part of her wanted him to use only that one, if only to hear each and every word that left him because they were _his_ words, made weight with his voice. A selfish want, but she knew she would eventually have to give a little more just to gain a little more.

She heard him ask for Sanji but a few moments later, he hung up. From the corner of her eye, she saw his frustrated expression. The cat growled low as he then looked at her, the animal tensing as she waited for him to make a move. The phone startled the animal as it rang, Polar hopping off the counter to make up for her scared movement. Law answered, but had to repeat himself a couple of times. The tone of his voice had Lainy looking away from her book to look at him, watching as his brow furrowed and his voice lowered even further. He then hung up abruptly and left the chair, leaving so hastily that she hadn't a chance to ask if he were going to his room for the night. She wondered if the pair were fighting – it wouldn't be unusual for teenagers to have their dramatics. She looked over at Lorenzo and swatted him awake as Law's bedroom door closed, lock moving into place.

Lorenzo sat up quickly while adjusting his glasses, looking at the television screen. Once he realized he had no idea what was on, he looked at her with a questioning look.

"Something's wrong," she whispered. "He was upset."

"At this? I would be, too," Lorenzo said with a frown, looking for the remote.

"He was on the phone with Sanji. I think they're arguing. He needs one of his own, I suppose," she said with a sigh.

"Do we need to right now?" Lorenzo asked tentatively, and with that, Lainy knew he felt the same way as she did. She gave him a gentle smile.

Hours later when he was sure they were asleep, Law quietly left his room. He knew something was wrong. Ichiji had answered the phone the first time and hung up on him, but moments later, when Law had answered his phone it was Sanji – answering as if someone had called him. There was something wrong with his voice when he assured Law that he'd see him at school tomorrow, a heavy sense of wrongness in the subdued quiet of his voice. Knowing that something was wrong, Law felt the urgency to go see him.

He paused at the front door, looking at his parents' vehicle keys. His heart thumped noisily – he wasn't allowed a driver's license until he was twenty-one, part of the conditions handed down to him because of the crime he'd helped commit years earlier. But another part that had him hesitating was that he didn't know where the Vinsmokes lived. It would take hours driving around Grandline High's district to locate the brothers' Buick. He could call again, but with how quickly Ichiji answered, the phone could be off-limits.

He stood there for some minutes, fiddling with his fingers. He could feel his heart racing wildly, the sound seemingly deafening within the silence. Polar meowed crankily, so he turned and saw the cat staring at him from the couch with her grumpy expression. Moments later, Panda was walking up the hall with a wide yawn, and when he caught sight of Law, he gave a sleepy bark. Law hastily turned away from the door and panicked when he heard the sound of someone moving in his parents' room. He went to the kitchen and searched the cabinets for cups, forgetting where they were. At that moment, Lorenzo turned on the living room lights with a puzzled look, Law glancing at him apprehensively.

"They're up there," Lorenzo said, pointing to a cabinet away from Law's search. Law found a cup and poured some tap water into it, very aware of his father's puzzled expression on him. He drank water he didn't really want and cleaned the cup to set it inside the dishrack.

"Can't sleep?" Lorenzo asked, glancing at the clock.

Law found it hard to answer – mostly because an answer would invite small talk, and he wasn't in the mind to have small talk. He shrugged and headed back to his room, Lorenzo frowning with some defeat. But he looked at the glass again – there were three of them in the house, now, so the sight of more dishes inside the dish rack made a warmth spread inside of him that felt familiar.

The next morning after Lainy dropped him off as school, Law lingered around the parking lot waiting for the brothers to show. But when he saw only three of them emerge, that restless feeling intensified. Troubled, he continued lingering there, watching the parked Buick, as if Sanji would emerge from it at any moment. The brothers were strangely quiet – they weren't hassling each other or anybody unfortunate to cross their path. They separated to go to class without word to each other. When the first bell rang, he gave a frustrated grunt, feeling anxiety strum through his veins.

"Hi, Law," Luffy said in passing, yawning sleepily while Ace yawned noisily, Sabo cramming the last of a breakfast sandwich into his mouth. "Class is starting, you better get going."

Law watched them go, words building up but crashing at his teeth. All three of them sluggishly made it to the front walk before he blurted out, " _Wait_."

Sabo turned at the sound of his voice, turning to look at him with curiosity. The other two didn't hear him, but they noticed the lack of Sabo's presence once they reached the door, looking back.

Law pointed at the Buick, struggling to speak. "W-where do they – where do they live?"

"That ritzy part of those estates over there," Sabo said, pointing off to the left. "Gated community. I'm not sure what house, though. Why?"

Swallowing tightly once he realized he had all the D boys' attention, Law stuttered with, "Ssss-Sssanji isn't here."

"Their car's here," Sabo said with a puzzled look.

"But…not him."

"Maybe he'll come later, Law," Luffy suggested helpfully.

"He ssssaid he'd be here. This morning. So…where do they live?"

Sabo suddenly brightened with understanding, remembering Koala's tirade yesterday. He had his phone out, dialing quickly. "I can find out. You think maybe he's just in trouble? Mr Hansen's really lax – _hey_. Where do the Vinsmokes live? Can you find out?" he then asked Koala once she answered.

"What kinda trouble?" Luffy asked with a puzzled frown. "Zoro said Mr Hansen's real sloppy, he doesn't care to punish anyone. Too much paperwork."

"Maybe with his dad," Ace theorized. "His dad's a real hardass. Hey, you going to go look? Maybe he'll come in later, don't worry about it."

"Right, right, don't worry about these things," Ichiji said, emerging from the front door. Luffy hollered out with surprise, Sabo nearly dropping his phone as he hung up hastily. "Law, father will be bringing Sanji by, later. He was supposed to get a new cast, today. Didn't he tell you last night?"

Law glared at him. The second bell rang out, and he still didn't move from where he was standing. With a smirk Ichiji retreated back into the building, Luffy looking after him with a hand to his heart, Ace and Sabo frowning.

Sabo looked to Law again, noticing his body language and the glare. He hit Ace with the back of his hand to notice these things, Ace grunting in response. "Let's go to class, then, Trafalgar," Sabo said, gesturing at the doors. After a cautious glance back, Law made the uncomfortable decision to go along – without the information he needed, he couldn't do anything.

At lunch Law waited to see the blond join him outside, watching the doors anxiously. He couldn't smoke – he was down to the last few, and his nerves were wearing thin. The thought that Judge sent Sanji off to his mother's without Sanji being able to say anything made true sadness ring through him. Towards the end of lunch, Sanji finally walked out from a set of side doors, Law walking to him immediately.

Law knew _something_ had happened. It was in the younger teen's expression, the hunch of his shoulders, the way he swallowed noisily as Law approached him. The new cast on his arm was brighter, still smelling of adhesives. He hugged him tightly, smelling antiseptics and something leathery on him – not his usual smells.

"What's wrong?" Law asked him, pulling back to look at him, Sanji struggling to hold his expression tightly.

For a few moments, Sanji couldn't say anything. The bell rang to signal the end of the lunch break, but neither of them moved. Not until Sanji pushed his hands into Law's sweater pockets, leaning in for a clumsy hug.

"Don't lose it," Sanji whispered to him desperately. He then pulled away from Law, forcing a smile on his face as he lifted his arm to show him his cast. "Look at this. Brand new!"

Law was puzzled. The other boy's voice was unnaturally loud – he was making himself appear cheerful, but Law did not mistake the clues from earlier. Turned away from the school as he was, Sanji's expression twisted just enough for him to beg on a whisper, "Go along with it."

Understanding, remembering how Ichiji answered the phone last night, Law forced himself to look at the cast. It was a struggle to say anything but he nodded slightly to acknowledge it.

"Doctor said I could have it taken off within the next three weeks," Sanji complained. "I've been too rough with it. I broke it last night…"

Question after question flooded Law's mind at this time, but as they made their way back into the school, he struggled to play along. He felt like he was moving through molasses, head ringing. He knew _something_ was wrong but he just didn't know what and it was maddening that he couldn't ask _why_ Sanji was behaving as he was. As they gathered their things through the usual crowded throng of kids in the hall, before he separated from him, Sanji patted his left hip.

In class Law sat in a daze. He examined his pen while thinking intensely about the short encounter. After a few moments, he reached into his left pocket and was startled at feeling something there. He pulled it out to see that it was a school flashdrive with Sanji's initials on it.

After class he headed to his locker, hoping to see the blond for an explanation. But he heard Yonji yelling out one of the side doors for his brothers to save him some snacks, so Law knew that the group was already leaving. He was disappointed and anxious, and he hid behind a wall corner as Yonji jogged off to practice. Law returned to his locker and finished exchanging his textbooks when Sabo appeared next to him.

"Give me your number and I can text it to you," he said.

"No cell."

Sabo looked extremely puzzled as Law shut his locker door and headed for the main front doors to meet his dad out in the pick up area. The D brother hurried after him, writing hastily on a slip of notebook paper. He gave it to Law, saying, "That's their address and that's my cell. Do call if something's up. We'd like to help."

Law pocketed the paper without saying anything, but Sabo took it as a serious situation because the prickly teen wasn't rejecting him.

"All those guys are pretty quiet, today," Ace told him as he walked up. "They're not their friendly, enjoyable selves. That blue haired bitch isn't up to his usual sass. Remember that one day when Sanji came back with his arm busted up? He's in that same mental state. Something happened, bro."

"All because of a pad?" Sabo questioned vaguely. " _All because of a period pad_."

"I guess, I don't know. If _that_ guy's on edge, then what we going to do? What _can_ we do?"

"I let him know where he lives, and gave him my cell. He didn't reject either."

"What should we tell Garp?"

"I don't know if we should tell him anything just yet. We don't know." With unease, Sabo fiddled with his phone. "I hope he calls us. I don't know what we can do, but we should do something. Something just doesn't feel right…"

Once at home, Lorenzo barely having time to unlock the door, Law asked, "Can I use your computer?"

"It's your computer, too," Lorenzo assured him, barely getting the words out before Law hurried towards the office that was half filled with boxes taped and labeled. The desktop blinked to full power upon prompting, and Law pushed the flash drive in. Opening the files, he scrolled through completed notes, homework details, downloads from various classes. When he came upon "Miss Nico", he opened it to find a set of photos that made him pause. A bedroom in shambles with clothes scattered on the floor, books laying in front of a fallen bookshelf, close-ups of a broken laptop, and headphones. There were torn clothes on the floor, shirts clearly torn apart while a closet was open, revealing a mess of fallen and empty hangers.

There was a close-up of pieces of white on the floor, atop of a throw rug. Law recognized them as part of a cast. The next part was a picture of Sanji's own arm, displaying his broken cast, which exposed parts of his bruised skin. Next was a picture of a digital clock with 7:32 pm on full display, as well as a cordless phone in hand with a call history up. 911 was dialed for a span of 2 seconds – the next photo was a pair of policemen at the front door, speaking to Judge. The photo had been taking hastily, from what looked like a kitchen.

The next Sanji had taken of his arm, where there were vague bruises on the wrist – Law had noticed he had both wrists covered, today. The younger teen was using a Sony camera to take these pictures, and Law was very proud of him to take documented evidence of something that was intended on being ignored. It hurt immensely to know that something had happened, but what gave him comfort was having this in his possession. Thinking about Smoker's advice from years back, Law checked to make sure the printer was on and printed out each and every one of these upsetting photos. Then he made a copy of the file with an extra flashdrive from his parents' pile, marking that with a marker and taking everything back to his room.

He tucked his copies into a large National Geographic book Lainy had given him about animals of the world and shelved it. Then he put Sanji's flashdrive into his backpack pocket. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared out the window for some time, unmindful about the passing minutes. It was when Polar meowed at him from near his closet when he blinked and looked at the cat glaring at him. Despite her angry expression, the cat was really a cute animal – its missing leg was even more of its appeal.

"What do you want to do tomorrow for your birthday?" Lorenzo asked, appearing at the doorway and startling Law out of his thoughts. The jump was so noticeable that Lorenzo felt bad for not doing something to notify the teen of his presence.

Law remembered that he would turn eighteen tomorrow. After these events, it felt like it had snuck up on him. He remembered the Doflamingo had taken them to Cracker Barrel last year, and he remembered all the confused, frustrated, angry and scared feelings he'd had with this new family and their large men –

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"You don't get an eighteenth every year, you know. It's a special age! How about dinner or something here? Your mother makes some great lasagna. We can rent a movie, or – perhaps you can invite Sanji over, or friends – "

The thought of doing anything as a family with his parents made Law tighten his lips. They hadn't reached a point where these things were comfortable, so the idea of having a special dinner for his birthday was an absurd one. And after the incident with Lainy and Sanji, he didn't want the pair suffering because of him; he didn't want Sanji put into another tense situation, but he did consider that maybe pulling him away from his family right now would help.

He was so uncomfortable with the choices he now had – then registered that he even had a choice. When was the last time he had one?

If he could be a buffer between Lainy and Sanji it would be fine. At least Law could control that.

He struggled to get his words out as Lorenzo said, "Or eat out, either or. Maybe…maybe your friend's restaurant again? A movie? Would you like to go see a movie?"

"Here. Dinner. With Sanji," Law finished clumsily, watching him warily for any change of expression or denial while he tensed, clutching his pant legs with both hands.

Lorenzo nodded. "Okay. That sounds good. I'll let your mother know, she can pick up ingredients for it. Why don't you invite your friend over, let's make it a go? Say at six?"

Law nodded tersely. Polar meowed noisily as she approached Lorenzo, rubbing up against his legs while glaring in Law's direction.

Satisfied, Lorenzo left him alone, ambling down the hall with Polar at his feet and Panda hurrying over to meet him with his tags jingling noisily.

After his parents had fallen asleep later that night, Law left the house with his mother's car keys. He _needed_ to see the other teen – it was important that he learn more so he could help. He found the community online earlier and printed out a map to locate the Vinsmokes' location. He parked the car at a nearby gas station and hiked it to the gated community, climbing over the wall behind some decorative shrubs to skirt through someone's backyard and emerge out onto the sidewalk.

Twenty minutes later he found the house and figured for an attorney like Judge, the man would have cameras setup in obvious locations. So he studied the house from a safe distance, trying to figure out how to get inside the yard to at least determine what window belonged to Sanji. As he was looking, he could see the cameras posted at every corner of the two story house – he would be caught if he ventured within 50 yards of the driveway or sideway. Reluctantly, he turned and headed back to the car.

On his way home, he took a detour towards Doflamingo's. He just wanted to see the house – Sugar would give him away if he tried to approach, and he didn't want to risk the lack of sleep coming to those inside if Rosinante was woken by the dog's barking so late at night. He hoped whoever was taking care of the man was doing things properly – did they know Rosinante like his eggs scrambled with light pepper? Did they know he preferred his green wool socks over his maroon anklets? Was Doflamingo listening to him as he spoke about his daytime shows? Hopefully the man remembered that Rosinante liked his rocking chair cushion to be turned over weekly. He drove by with heavy reluctance, wondering if Rosinante remembered him. When he returned home, he walked in very quietly, hanging the keys back up and slipping off his shoes to sneak back to his room.

But the lights in the kitchen turned on with Lainy and Lorenzo looking at him with tired frowns from the counter, causing him to freeze in mid-step.

"Where did you go?" Lorenzo asked him sharply.

For a minute Law was voiceless – he didn't want to say where he went because he knew they would get the wrong idea. But if he explained himself he would have to tell them everything. It would make sense to show them, talk to an adult about the situation, but the threat of Judge 'ruining them' made it difficult to do so. He felt that this adult, with so much power and credibility to his reputation had so much more power than two doctors that had lost their children in one year and had to work hard just to get one back.

He had to say something, though, eyes darting from one to the other before stammering out, "I just wanted to see Rosinante."

Lainy looked relieved while Lorenzo's face suggested that he didn't know what to think. But moments later, he relaxed. Law wondered if they had thought the worst of his absence. Previous convictions and all. Or perhaps he was running away again.

"This late at night?" Lainy asked gently.

Law took a few more moments to answer. "Doflamingo usually doesn't come home until…early. Saturday."

"How is he?"

"…I didn't want to wake him up."

"You are aware that you don't have permission to use the car because you don't have a driver's license?" Lorenzo asked.

"…Yes."

"We should talk about this later, when we're all…more awake," Lainy suggested before any tension could arise. "But…next time Law, perhaps we can arrange a more manageable visit to see him during daytime hours. Your father and I can drive you."

Lorenzo looked troubled by this but since Lainy made the offer, Law was going to take it. He nodded then headed to his room, locking the door behind him. He took the National Geographic book from the shelf as he listened to the faint sounds of his parents' voices in the kitchen, and looked at the printed photos once more. He felt helplessly angry – he was powerless to do anything but keep this evidence until Sanji told him more about it. With Judge's position, Law needed security in who he gave this information to. Smoker would be ideal, but there needed to be more done. There were cracks in the system that Law was fully aware of and he did not want Sanji to experience what he had. He didn't want to lose the teen to something that either of them couldn't control; a plan was needed. Sanji had already started it – Law just had to help him finish it.

Saturday morning, he heard the phone ring. When Lainy called for him, he unlocked the door and hurried out, seeing that Lainy was cookng breakfast. His stomach growled noisily in response as he answered with some hesitation.

For a moment there was silence, then he heard Sanji whisper, "Did you find it?"

"Yes."

"Just…keep it. Don't look at it, just hold it. It has my homework on it, and I told dad that someone needed to borrow it for class, so I need to go after it. What's your address?"

Law gave it to him, Polar hopping onto the counter to glare at him.

"Happy birthday!" Sanji then said a little louder, lowering his voice moments later. "What are you doing, today? Do you want dinner, or something? Dad's taking those guys to Ichiji's thing and lunch after, so I'm free now. He told me to stay home but I'm not going to do that. I think I can use a bus – "

"That gas station. Outside your place," Law said, glancing at Lainy as she forced herself to pay attention to the bacon. "When you're ready."

"Ten." For a few moments, Sanji hesitated. "How do you know there's a gas station - ?"

"Ten o'clock, then," Law confirmed.

"Bye," Sanji said hastily once something that sounded like a pounding emerged from his end. Law hung up apprehensively. Then he looked to Lainy, knowing he had to ask permission for the other teen to visit but unsure how to.

She cleared her throat before looking at him, noticing the empty silence. "What's up?"

 _Just ask!_ Law told himself impatiently as he found it difficult to ask for something as simple as this. He placed his hand on the counter near Polar, hearing her warning growl as she disapproved of his action.

"That was Sanji, wasn't it?" Lainy asked, rubbing at her hands with nervousness. She could not get that night at Baratie's out of her mind, but she knew she had to bring it up and soothe it over. "Would he like to come over?"

"For a little while."

"Will one of his brothers drop him off? How old is he?" Lainy then asked curiously.

"Sixteen."

She rubbed her lips together with more uneasiness. "Law," she said, turning to look at her bacon, "this relationship…it could be difficult with the age difference."

Law knew what she was getting at, and he said defensively, "Nothing happened. Nothing will."

"I'm not saying this to agitate you in any way, but…we must be mindful of the laws in this state. I'm sure his father knows them very well…" Lainy trailed off with uncertainty. "Does…is his father aware…?"

"I don't know."

"It's your birthday, let's make it a special one," Lainy then said hurriedly, waving her hand about. "This talk can wait until later. So, shall we go pick him up?"

"Yes."

"Then we can do so," she said, forcing a smile to her face. "Your friends are more than welcome to come over, but, er… I suppose we need to set some ground rules with…with this. Um, for example, no closed doors with Sanji. I think that's fair, that was my rule with my own mother whenever I brought a boyfriend home."

Law thought it was weird to hear of Lainy speaking of his grandfather, whom he vaguely remembered. It was as if he were absorbing the tales from a stranger, of another life. He grew aware that he was holding his own fingers tightly, tension making itself known in his rigid shoulders and clenched jaw. It was a fair rule.

"Okay," he agreed. "But no judgements from either of you."

Lainy looked at him with a start until she understood what he was requesting. She smiled. "Of course not. But your father and I will have to talk to…to get used to this. We…never thought that a day like this would come, and…and we missed out on so much, so…of course it would make sense that you would – you would have some type of relationship, it's just…we never thought it would be this one – "

"I never, either, but I'm not – " Law started to say defensively, automatically feeling frustration well up inside of him at the mention of lost time.

"To be honest," Lainy interrupted firmly, hands on the counter, "we're not in the total dark about gay relationships. We're not against them, either. You – _all_ of us here have to understand each other, and if you chose this boy to have one with, then we will accept it. But as parents and adults, we have a right to interject if we hear or feel something is…out of the ordinary. We have a right to set rules. _Healthy_ rules. Understand?"

Law said nothing because he understood that Lainy was giving him a choice; she wasn't forbidding him from Sanji, nor was she closed to the relationship. She was only setting rules. It was more than he had been allowed at any house, and while he felt he didn't like them, he had to accept it.

He nodded faintly.

Relieved, Lainy's shoulders dropped until she whirled around to her bacon, exclaiming with dismay at the near blackened strips. Law returned to his room at the chance and heaved a heavy exhale. All the tension he'd felt left him for a bit, but overall, he was glad how the events were going. He looked over at his trashbag, then the closet. The silence there, combined with the ambiance down the hall left him feeling nostalgic. Saturday morning, Lamie would be posted in front of the television set in her pajamas. She'd holler her breakfast orders to whomever was listening, a large cup of strawberry milk nearby. She would have her stuffed bear under one arm and –

It occurred to him that he had yet to open the bag Lorenzo had tried to give him weeks earlier. He stood up to crouch by the bag, Polar settling herself in his open doorway to continue glaring at him. It amused him how the cat was so diligent on keeping watch on him, like a silently patrolling security guard. He wondered where Panda was. But he opened the trashbag and retrieved the bag that was crumbled and wilted, holding a heavy shape inside.

After Lamie died, Law remembered taking the bear she'd always carried with her. Who always had to be posted on the bathroom counter whenever she used the bathroom, who had to sleep with her, had to accompany her to the kitchen table.

He withdrew the bear from the bag, seeing faint marker stains on the back of its head, neon colored patches on his arm from her last snack; it was dressed in a silly orange jumpsuit with a funny looking face on the left breast.

"Bepo," he muttered, remembering Lamie's name for it. The bear's expressionless face stared back at him, and he pulled it to his nose – it no longer smelled like his little sister but his memory conjured up her bubblegum scented shampoo and her evil Funion breath. He remembered that she liked eating Hot Cheetos and yellow was her favorite color. She loved her iPad and watched makeup tutorials with a passion. She also loved skirts and dresses and called him 'Fart Brain' whenever she was mad at him.

The memory of her was painful but at the same time lovely. It still hurt to think of her end as it had happened, and it hurt not hearing her voice, but if he had this bear, she was still present.

* * *

 **Naghi-Tan** : he definitely does! But Judge isn't through, yet – he's got an ass to cover after losing control D:

 **RR** : Isn't he? While Doflamingo seemed threatening and dangerous, it was the man in the suit that turned out to be more so than he. More of the brothers' reactions will come later. I hope this chapter revealed a few things to answer your questions. :D

 **Penumbra** : Thank you for your reviews! They definitely can be, can they? I have to remember that they're still just _kids_ in this fic; neither with too much power to interfere and no magic trick up their sleeves to come through in a spot. As it's nearing its end, I promise your heart won't hurt for very long ;D


	33. Chapter 33

**33**

* * *

After Judge's car pulled away from the driveway, Sanji waited for at least twenty minutes before he left the house. There was a strange and uneasy rift between them – Judge spoke to him sternly but in short clips, studiously making the effort to ignore him when he can. The others were quiet and Sanji still felt traumatized by what happened, he wasn't going to show it to those that could use it against him. So he still spoke normally as he did to them and kept to his room more often. He wondered what Judge told Zeff to cut his evening job – the phone was being monitored closely after Sanji made that 911 call that night, a calculated decision just to bring attention to Judge. He saw the way the cops made friendly small talk to Judge and knew he couldn't find assistance there. He told himself it was impossible with Judge's influence.

Ichiji was the only one of them that forced his presence into Sanji's personal space, talking to him normally as well but obviously monitoring him after that visit.

If his family thought to contain him by intimidating him into silence, then they thought wrong. That flashdrive was a culmination of photos he'd taken just in case he'd need them, made possible by a camera Judge had kept in his office. If Law had it, then it was safe. He just hoped the other teen didn't snoop – he didn't want the older teen to feel any worry or overthink something out of the ordinary. But Sanji had to admit, he felt weak in Law's presence; the teen gave him a sense of security, oddly, and he couldn't help but show his true emotions around him. Maybe because Law understood, maybe because he felt comfortable relaxing around him – whichever, today was going to be difficult because Sanji felt he would break down and tell him everything. It was Law's birthday, and he didn't want to be that type of selfish burden on him, especially if he were still adjusting to his parents and his new living situation.

It was odd thinking of another person's considerations when Sanji hadn't done so, before. Thinking of another being's comforts was far beyond his ability, but Law was different. He made Sanji _different_. And Sanji felt better being the person he was when he was with Law. That person seemed new to him – maybe that was why he felt so attached to the other boy. Were these the things that older people wanted so badly of when they couldn't find it?

It couldn't be that – being a teenager meant hormones and intense longings for things that were yet to be understood, so why wasn't he overwhelmed with that aspect?

When it was time, he shoved the present he'd bought for Law into a rope cord backpack with one of Ichiji's tournaments emblazoned on it, and left the house through the back. He headed for the sidewalk behind his neighborhood to make his way to the gas station Law spoke of. How did the other teen know there was one there when Sanji hadn't ever mentioned these landmarks around his area? He was pretty positive he'd never invited him to his house because of his family, so that interesting detail made him curious. Once there he went to the side of the gas station and milled around nervously, pacing, wishing he had a cigarette. He considered bumming one from the adults that passed by, but with his looks he doubted he'd succeed in any way.

Once he spotted the other teen walking over to him – mysteriously popping out of nowhere – Sanji hurried over to him brightly.

"Good morning! Happy birthday," he said hastily, wondering if he should give him a hug or something, but he didn't know what Law's parents would think of that sort of contact. He retrieved the present he had in his bag and gave it to him, Law looking at him with surprise. Out of his school uniform, Law was just another lurpy teen in jean-shorts and a t-shirt, looking too awkward with long limbs and messy hair that was only a mess because of a recent shower.

Law studied the small gift and fiddled with it nervously.

Scoffing, Sanji said, "What, never seen one before? Open it! Before your parents see!"

Awkwardly, Law undid the ribbon and tore the package open, revealing a small box that rattled as he handled it. He opened it to find a gold lighter with intricate dragon designs and a gift card to an athletic shoe store, a hefty amount labeled neatly in the corner.

"That's a lot," he mumbled uncomfortably, heart racing wildly as he found himself in a daze.

"I told you, I have a ton of money from saving my allowance and from work."

"You said you never got paid."

"I lied so dad won't freak out, and they don't believe me anyway. Off the books, because I don't meet the law requirements for full hours. Do you like it?"

For a few moments Law didn't answer, but his expression was awkward and even his ears were red. "Yes," he then mumbled, fiddling with the lighter. He put that into his pocket, doing so clumsily as Sanji beamed at him. He closed the box up as Sanji snatched the wrapping from him and threw it away for him.

"How'd you know about this place?" he then asked as Law led the way towards the gas pumps, where Lainy was filling up the tank with a wince at the prices.

Looking caught, Law hesitated on answering. He didn't have to as Lainy watched them approach, timidly rubbing her hands together as the numbers ticked by.

"Sanji, good morning," she said with some nervousness.

"Hey. Uh, thanks for picking me up," Sanji said to her, feeling awkward after their last encounter. "Can you drop me off back here by three? Pretty important."

"It's no problem. I just…um, I just want to apologize for the other night," Lainy said slowly. "It was…I was out of line, I – "

"It's no big deal," Sanji said flippantly while Law watched his mother cautiously. "I apologize for my big brother being an ass. He's always like that."

"Are you…are you hurt?"

"No. I'm tough. Listen, what are you guys going to do for Law today? Are you making him anything, are you taking him out?"

"Well, he asked for a lasagna dinner tonight – "

"Then I can do lunch! Can we stop at a grocery store before we go back? It'll be great! Are you allergic to anything? Hey, what do you want, anyway?" Sanji asked Law before Lainy could answer, unable to keep up with his rapid-fire way of speaking. "Don't ask for something stupid and simple, either! _Oh_! I was thinking maybe barbeque! Do you guys have a grill?"

Lainy barely had time to nod as she reset the nozzle back onto the pump as Sanji told Law excitedly, "Chicken, hamburgers, steak? Macaroni or potato salad? What do you want for dessert? How about watermelon with ice cream? I've got the money, we can go do this! Oh, and lemonade!"

Lainy looked at Law with large eyes, seeing her son just as dazed as she was, barely having any time to say anything as Sanji climbed into the backseat without offer, pulling on his seatbelt as he continued to talk. She asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

He gave her an impatient look. " _Yes_ ," he mumbled, climbing into the backseat with Sanji, shutting the door on her concerned frown.

She still felt wariness with the Vinsmoke boy, discomforted with the way he took control but at the same time she was confident he had boundaries and was capable of saying 'no' when he needed to. She just felt, after everything he'd been through, that a rapid-fire speaker such as Sanji was someone that could be a negative influence on Law. Simply because Sanji's family was of a concerning reputation, and the way he spoke on Law's decisions could be against hers and Lorenzo's.

But their hours were limited and it was Law's request to have him over, so Lainy would just have to have another cup of coffee just to keep up.

At the grocery store nearby, Sanji took a cart and loaded up on his supplies while Law trailed after him with a clumsy look to his face, Lainy browsing for things that they would need for themselves. She had to admit, she liked looking up to seeing her son close by – interacting quietly with his smaller companion, looking dazed as Sanji perused the meat; she wondered if he had even taken a breath, yet. The butcher looked amused, though, and it wasn't as if he were causing harm to those around him; just determined to make the best lunch he could for his…boyfriend. Lainy had to get used to that word.

By the time they made it back to the house, Sanji taking over the kitchen with a greeting holler at Lorenzo as he saw him, both Lainy and Law crowded the coffee pot. Panda was excited to meet a new companion, and Lorenzo watched as Sanji pulled out some dog treats and made the dog his instant friend in moments. Polar watched with a heavy glare on her face from the counter, hissing as Sanji came too close to her perch as he unloaded his groceries.

"Get another cup, hon," Lainy warned Lorenzo in a whisper as Lorenzo looked surprised at the demand for the grill's presence. "Just try and stay out of his way. He'll run you over."

Seeing their son seated at the counter while Sanji took over their kitchen, Lorenzo blinked a few times. The smaller teen was going on about the differences in chopped versus julienne cuts in a salad, and was exclaiming with dismay over their minimal kitchen supplies.

"Like a bulldozer," he murmured with discomfort, looking at Law for any signs of distress, but the teen looked quite used to his companion's presence. Lorenzo helped himself to more coffee before making his way outside to find the grill on the back porch.

Nearly an hour later, Sanji had set the table and was attempting for a proper setting while Law continued to try and win Polar's affection, the cat glaring at him from one of the chairs she'd taken cover to. It annoyed him when Sanji ruffled the cat's back without any sign of attack from the animal, Polar glaring after him with her ears flicking and her tail snapping in the teen's wake.

"Okay, you guys can sit and eat," Sanji said, hurrying back around the counter to start chopping up the watermelon, pulling the ice cream from the fridge.

"This…this a hobby of yours?" Lorenzo asked as he surveyed the table with perfectly grilled meat, a multi-colored macaroni salad and some grilled vegetables that looked a little overdone. But he started serving himself anyway, because Law was already making a large plate for himself, looking eager to eat.

"I love cooking!" Sanji declared, cutting through even slices to make room for the ice cream. "I wish I could do it more but there's a rule in the house that we gotta eat out every fucking night, and that gets tiring."

"Language," Lorenzo murmured as Lainy sat with a bemused expression, surveying the spread.

"It's okay occasionally, but I'd rather cook, and I think I do it better," Sanji continued on without missing a beat. "Working at the shitty restaurant really opened my eyes, and that old man was actually tons useful, more useful than I thought. You know him, hah, he's so fucking old! That shitty geezer knows his business, he's cooked and learned from many other cooks around the world! He won't tell me where he's from or anything, though, I don't think he's American. He has an accent but I can't place it!"

"Are we even going to have room for tonight's dinner?" Lainy asked with worry, her plate already covered with barbeque meat, juices running into a finely flavored salad.

" _Yes_ ," Law answered with a full mouth, frowning at her for even suggesting that this was their only meal for the day.

"How can you do all this with one hand?" Lorenzo asked Sanji skeptically, eyes darting to the new cast he had. But he sat, and the first bite of his steak made his eyes widen. "This is _great_!"

Lainy nodded with agreement, amazed at the combination of flavor from the bite of salad she'd already taken. Law watched them cautiously, cheek bulging with the bites he'd already taken, waiting for something negative to leave them. Sanji beamed from the compliment, scooping ice cream into the wedges he'd carefully scooped out. When he was finished with four of them, he set those in the freezer, picked up the pitcher of lemonade from the fridge, and finally sat down at the table with them, moving Polar to the floor. The cat meowed crankily in response, but she sat there at his chair, glaring up at him with her tail whipping from side to side. Sanji leaned over and gave Panda a piece of chicken, the dog lapping it up merrily, much to the Trafalgars' dismay.

Lunch was somehow finished, the ice cream and watermelon consumed, and Lainy had to be firm to shoo Sanji out from the kitchen so she and Lorenzo could at least have a hand in something. Law gave Sanji a tour of the outside, uncomfortably full from the satisfying meal. Panda ran out after them, barking as he patrolled the fenced in grounds, Polar watching from the sliding door.

"That was really good," Law told Sanji as the boy sat down at the edge of the porch with huge exhale. "Thank you."

"Fuck, I'm amazing," Sanji sighed, patting his stomach, Panda attacking him with licks to the head and face as he saw that his newest favorite person was his level. Sanji had to push him back, scrambling away to avoid becoming a victim to dog slobber and eager dog paws over his brother's borrowed long-sleeved shirt and ironed khaki shorts. "I even surprise myself."

Despite the good feeling he felt, Law still had the contents of the flashdrive on his mind as he looked at his friend. He knew his parents were overwhelmed by Sanji's presence, but it amazed him how strongly Sanji could take over in someone else's house and how he could present himself to people that had conflict with him. All for _him_ , he realized. Law couldn't imagine himself being that sort of person – who had gone through something frightening and yet presenting a careless air just for someone else. How could someone live so fearlessly?

Sanji found a ratted tennis ball that belonged to Panda and tossed it, the dog taking off with an excited shuffle while he sat back down on the porch. They could hear Polar meowing crankily from the sliding door, looking for a way out as well.

"That cat hates me," Law told Sanji as he sat next to him.

"She's so _cute_! I wish we could have pets! You're lucky you have animals. I kinda miss Sugar – how's Rosinante, do you…? Like, do you still talk to Smoker?" Sanji asked him with concern, taking the ball from Panda as he returned it for another throw.

"He calls here and there," Law mumbled in response, hand on his belly.

"How are you getting along with them?" Sanji asked him, wiping his forehead. "Damn, meat sweats."

Law shrugged. "It's too soon, so…it's just me being here and them just…being there."

"But I bet they're happy you're here. Your mom just loves seeing you, I can tell," Sanji said, reflecting back on the supermarket. "Her face lights up just catching sight of you. And your dad is happy, too."

"It's not comfortable, yet. I…think it'd be stupid to relax because it's good right now. People don't start making demands until a week or so, later."

"They're not going to," Sanji told him, folding his hands over his lap. "Rules and stuff I can imagine, but they're not going to be like other homes, Law."

"I can't relax just like that after all this time."

"I get that, but…we've talked about this. They can't hurt you, and I know you have backup plans, but…they're not like the other families you had to live with," Sanji muttered. "They're going to keep trying super hard to win you over. It's not going to stop just like that."

"You don't know that."

"I can tell the difference between a family with expectations and families without – "

"Like, you can't say that because I'm your only friend, so far."

" _Psh_ ," Sanji said, waving a hand in the air as Panda abandoned his ball and went to nosing around the fence for interesting scents. "I go to all these tournaments all the time and see plenty of families. I used to look for some that were like mine, and you can tell those kids right away. Like, can't you look through a crowd and spy someone just like you? You can tell how they live just by seeing them in a crowd, and how they respond when someone talks to them. Yours are grateful. They want you around. That attitude isn't going to change any time soon."

"Still," Law mumbled, fiddling with the edges of the porch. "It's not that easy."

"I think it's best, here," Sanji said. "Yeah, I mean, you don't have to do anything."

"I know, that's what's hard! Taking care of Rosinante was a round a clock thing, and not having to do that, now? It's…like, adjusting to it makes me feel useless," Law said, picking at his shorts. He could feel the weight of the lighter on his thigh, see the outline of it against his pockets. He was out of cigarettes – withdrawal was a bitch.

"You're not 'useless'," Sanji muttered. "You just have to find another outlet. What are you good at?"

Law shrugged, looking at his worn shoes. That question had come up many times before, with Smoker, with other families – but he didn't feel he was good at anything. He didn't have any interests, he wasn't athletic, he wasn't interested in all the things teenagers were into – he didn't remember seeing any movies in the theater, he read books at night when Rosinante was having a hard time and nothing inspired him to pursue it. He was useless, he convinced himself, because he had nothing to give.

"You're good at caretaking," Sanji told him when he didn't get an answer. "So maybe you should look into that as a future goal. Be a vet! _Law_! You can work with animals! You like animals, right?"

"Not all of them like me, though."

"So _what_ , who likes doctors besides gold-diggers and hypochondriacs? The point is, it's a job, and you should at least pursue something that interests you. Maybe not with animals," Sanji then decided with a thoughtful look. "But I really think maybe you should pursue that line. Job shadow with your dad, can't you?"

"I don't want to say that," Law mumbled.

"With your older roommate then," Sanji corrected, reaching out to pull the stick from Panda as he brought it over with loud pants. After he tossed it, he said, "Don't think you have to push yourself into something you're not ready for, but have a plan. You're here, you're going to succeed. Just like we spoke about. Graduate and have that degree. Make them pay for college – if you can't decide what to do, go for your General Studies, at least. That's two years of figuring out what you want to do."

Law looked at him, considering his determined expression. "And you?"

Sanji made a face, picking at his exposed knees. If that shirt wasn't as large as it was, he'd be mistaken for some middle school kid. His bangs were growing, touching over his eyebrows. It would take a couple more months for them to catch up with the rest of his bang, through.

"I don't know," he said on a sigh.

"Then you can't tell me what to do," Law decided.

"I think at _your_ age it's important," Sanji pointed out. "You're ahead of me."

Uncomfortably, Law fiddled with his fingers. He looked at Sanji from the corner of his eyes, watching him scowl at the task of pulling the stick from Panda without breaking the stick. Polar still meowed noisily from behind him, scratching at the glass with her one front leg.

"We could get into trouble for this," he murmured.

Sanji's scowl darkened. "I turn seventeen in March. And it's not like we're doing anything, Law."

"I know, but…your dad…"

"If you think I'm breaking up with you just because of that – "

"'Breaking up' suggests there was a relationship in the first place."

"Oh, _shut up_ , you're overthinking things again, and you need to knock it the fuck off. We're _fine_. We're not doing anything wrong with hanging out with each other. And besides, you told me I don't have any sex appeal anyway, so I think I'm safe."

Law snorted at the expression that made Sanji's face darken. "It's true, you're like a little kid."

"Shut up before I punch you and make you throw up."

Chuckling lightly, Law kept his hands busy.

"I wish I had a smoke!" Sanji said with a sigh. "Hey, do you know how to shoplift? They do those one dollar sales at the gas station sometimes – "

"I'm not teaching you that."

"You don't want to get into trouble, anyhow. You're legal, so you can actually go to jail, now," Sanji said, wiping his nose.

"You're always leaking something…"

"Stop commenting on me! So…can you get a driver's license?" Before Law could answer, Sanji then asked, "How did you know where I lived? I can't get that out of my mind!"

Hesitating, Law reached out and took the stick from Panda, tossing it ahead of them. Sanji snickered and made fun of him for his wimpy throw, Law looking at him with embarrassment as Panda brought the stick back and the younger teen showed him how it was supposed to be done. As Panda raced off, Law gathered the courage to confess.

"I have that flashdrive," he said slowly.

"Oh! Keep it for me until Monday! I might need the excuse – if that happens, meet me at the library down the road!"

Sucking his lips between his teeth, Law then said softly, "I saw those pictures."

Sanji looked at him sharply, then looked away with another scowl. He stood up. "Why are you looking at it? I just told you to keep it! I didn't say look at it – you better not have told anyone - !"

"I didn't." Swallowing tightly, Law added, "Do you have a plan?"

Uncomfortably, Sanji paced. He pushed Panda away as the dog brought the stick back to him before sitting down on the porch. He felt weak, felt his shoulders wilt. He'd done his best to ignore the problem all day, but now that it was being addressed, he felt like it was all for nothing. He wanted to tell Law everything – but Sanji felt it wouldn't be fair to him.

He said, "Let's not talk about that, right now. It's your birthday. Just…just keep it for me until Monday. Don't…don't tell anyone, not even that old man. Not…I just – I have a plan, only I can do this."

"No you don't," Law told him firmly. "You're not alone."

"Law, you can't do anything," Sanji said, frowning at him. 'You're on a shitty list, it's fragile – you can't do anything to mess this up for yourself, right now. I'm already in a shitter, you know what to expect – look, just…I took pictures. What do you think I should do, now?"

"Give them to someone like Smoker. He already has the complaint Lainy submitted. This is a good anchor."

"I can't do that just yet," Sanji said. "Dad's a lawyer – "

"A _divorce_ lawyer."

"But he has friends, and he's strong, and…he can ruin your parents, and they just got you back, I don't want to…have him ruin anything else. The way he treated those cops makes me think I can't trust them, either."

"Then your mom."

" _Mom_ \- ! She's too _poor_ , Law," Sanji said with worry. "She's – she can barely afford herself and Reiju, and dad will destroy her financially, and I can't let that happen to her."

"Is there anything your father is afraid of?"

" _No_ ," Sanji said with disgust.

"You shouldn't discount the amount of power Smoker has," Law said quietly to him. "That office is full of people that want justice for their clients. They're relentless. Yes, it might seem like they're powerless in some aspects, but don't you think they have influence on the justice system, too? They're advocates – they speak up in court for their kids. They're not afraid, either."

'I don't know," Sanji mumbled, rubbing at his cast.

"What happened?" Law asked him, reaching out to touch his hand.

Sanji shrugged, clasping his hand within his. Panda was rolling about in the dirty, causing a flurry of dust to fly, and they watched him do so together. "He wanted me to apologize to Niji but I said fuck that. And so dad just freaked out. Yonji stopped him from going full retard."

"'Yonji' did?" Law repeated incredulously.

"Yeah, it was hella strange! He did and…he hasn't said anything to me, but…I think it weirded all of them out, too. Except for Ichi, that alien. He's still the same. Smug, even. Like…I can't act out, anymore." Sanji huffed. "And maybe I won't obviously, but if I let this get to me – I just need to keep acting normal. Like with my hair, I can't show them any weakness! I can't just bow down and let them do stuff, that's just…"

"And you say I'm 'brave'?" Law asked him incredulously. "Something this terrifying doesn't leave you feeling _terrified_?"

"Like…I'm scared? But…it hit a point I never imagined, and I made it through. Like, Law, honestly? I've been beaten up by my brothers most of our lives, it's not a new thing," Sanji told him. "This time, it came from my dad but I just have to outthink him. That's why I took those photos."

Law studied him for a few moments. He had nothing to say, but he would ask Smoker some things the next time the man called. He reached out and brushed his fingers through Sanji's hair, the strands soft and hot under his touch. The day was bright, the sun overhead, but the breeze made it cool. The trees around them fluttered noisily under its touch, and traffic was a gentle ambiance outside of that. A plane's air brakes sounded out overhead, but it wasn't visible – hidden in the distance somewhere.

"What'd you say to me some time ago?" he asked softly. "You're not alone? Because you aren't. Not in this moment. There are people you can rely on, you know."

"Less bodies, the easier it is," Sanji mumbled, leaning against his shoulder. He sniffed him. "You smell good. What's that?"

"Just plain deodorant, I guess," Law said, sniffing at himself with curiosity. He hadn't even given any thought to the things his mother had given him the day before – he used them because they were there.

Sanji frowned as he pulled back, then sniffed his shirt. "My cologne was a hundred bucks and it doesn't smell that fresh.'

"You have shitty taste, that's all. You bathe in it so you're immune to the smell, now. It offends everyone."

" _Shut_ up."

Law smiled at his indignant expression, reaching over to hug him close. When he felt Sanji relax against him, his arm curled around Law's back, he said, "I don't want you to go home."

"I'm glad I was able to come over and cook for you. I hope you do have a happy birthday, though. After all this shit, you deserve it," Sanji muttered against him.

Law was pretty sure Sanji was one of the best presents he could have – but he couldn't say that aloud.

: :

By the time Sanji got home, he was relieved to see that the others hadn't come back, yet. He went to his room, changed out of his clothes, redressed in his old PE shirt and shorts and started some wash. By the time he found a show on Netflix, the boys walked in through the side door, looking cranky and annoyed. They saw him, but two of them ventured off towards their rooms while Ichiji crossed over to frown at him.

Sanji wrinkled his nose. "God, you stink. Like a bukkake."

" _Clever_ ," Ichiji told him. "What'd you do all day?"

"What's it look like?" Sanji asked, gesturing at the television set.

"Dad sent the neighbor over here to check on you, and you weren't here."

" _Chill out_ – where is he, anyway?"

"He's going to golf with some friends."

"I went to the store! No one said I had to stay here like a goddamn prisoner. If that was so, he should've chained me to the basement. I don't care what he says, I'm not staying put," Sanji grumbled, adjusting his position on the couch to better view the television set. "If he's not here to make sure of it, then fuck him."

Ichiji gave him a disgusted look. "You really should learn to be more respectful towards those you're leeching off of."

Sanji snorted. "Please. I didn't ask to be born."

Irritated with his flippant attitude, Ichiji walked away. As he was moving up the stairs, Sanji called after him, "Besides, you'll all feel better when I move to mom's anyway."

Ichiji looked back at him with a puzzled expression. "Who said anything about you moving to mom's?"

"Dad's always saying it!"

"He's not going to do it. It was a card he pulled to see if you'd stay in line. You want to go to mom's?"

"I'd rather be there than here!"

"Too bad," Ichiji murmured. "Because dad's not letting you go anywhere. Especially if he thinks you'll tell on him."

Sanji scowled after him, sitting up on the couch, then re-faced the television set. All this time Judge had been threatening him with living at his mom's, but to retract that? Did Judge really think taking that away from him would be the best thing for his own interests?

Sanji was going to talk to him about it, as soon as Judge returned home. Because even if he could endure this much of the household with what happened, he didn't think he could live this way for the rest of his high school life.

* * *

 **Naghi-tan** : both of them are kids that think there's too much against them. Telling an adult would be logical and the best thing to do, but that's the point with fear – they're scared because of their own experiences. D:

 **RR** : True – both of them are pretty abusive. Law will continue to skirt around the issue until it's absolutely needed that something needs to be done – but don't worry, he's got a plan, too. :D He can only settle down when things are truly done – it hasn't been very long since he moved in, so there are habits to break and relearn for him. Same with his parents. I'm glad for the weekends lol I am forced to take a break! :D Gets me thinking, though.

 **Penumbra** : They are very helpful! They want to help in any way possible – because they inserted themselves in these guys' lives, so they feel responsible, too. Like big brothers, haha! Law and Ichiji can have a good confrontation, but Law's personality holds him back – it's only when he's forced to act is when he will. If he were more confident in himself, he definitely wouldn't hold back. D: No second part! I stg…I have too many open sequels, I need to NOT write another part lol! It'll all be wrapped up in this story, I promise. :D (though, everyone that finishes this story will probably want a second part – I CAN'T. I CAN'T)

Fireofshandora: I love cats! And I love ones that have mean faces because I bet they're the biggest sweethearts!


	34. Chapter 34

**34**

* * *

That night, the three of them were just digging into their lasagna dish when the phone rang. Lorenzo answered, being closest to the phone while Lainy dished out gooey squares of pasta, cheese and meat, Law already scraping up his vegetables as he eyed the pieces with a greedy look. Moments later Lorenzo held the phone out with a puzzled expression, saying, "Law. It's Sanji."

Remembering what Sanji had planned to demand of his father, Law shot up from his chair, hurriedly chewing and swallowing what he had in his mouth as Lainy gave him a puzzled look. Lorenzo returned to his seat with a concerned frown as Law answered, keeping his voice low for a bit of privacy. When he hung up he stood there for a few moments, then looked at his parents. Both of them waited for him to say something, seeing him struggle to put his thoughts into words, growing visibly tense.

Lainy lowered her spatula with a bewildered expression. "What's wrong?"

"Is he okay?" Lorenzo asked Law, seeing the teen swallow again, wiping his face.

"Can we go get him?" Law asked nervously. " _Please_. It's an emergency."

"What is going on?" Lainy asked.

"Sounded very troubled," Lorenzo said, hesitating for a moment before rising.

"Is he okay?" Lainy repeated, hand going to her hair anxiously. She looked at the clock, then waited for Law to answer.

"He said to meet at the park – I know where that's at." Fiddling with his fingers, Law then picked up the phone. Lainy and Lorenzo looked at each other before Lainy nodded at him, Lorenzo rising to get the keys. Hearing Law talk low, Lainy couldn't make out what he was saying but he spoke with some confidence that was absent from his usual presence. When he was done he left the kitchen, Panda following after him. He returned with a book in hand, giving it to Lainy.

"Please give this to Smoker if he shows up before us," Law said, Lainy taking it with puzzled action, recognizing it as one of the gifts she'd given to him. But before she could ask anything, both he and Lorenzo were leaving.

She was uncertain of what to think, but it had to be something troublesome – she thought back to the night at Baratie's, wondering if Sanji had been fighting with his brothers, again. Maybe he just needed a place to calm and relax himself – maybe he was in trouble for venturing out when he wasn't supposed to. Whichever the reason, for Law to call Smoker – it gave her cause for concern. She set the book aside and looked at their dinner, still steaming hot.

Anxiously, she wondered how to handle the situation as it arrived. They were still on rocky new grounds with Law – what would happen if Sanji were in a similar situation with his father? Judge Vinsmoke's reputation was a hideous one – respected and feared. She saw his law office on display on billboards around town, and some of their wealthier clients spoke of him with negative and positive notes, depending on their court situation. But he couldn't possibly want to damage his reputation with the wrong sort of action with his own off-spring…

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door and she set aside her water to answer. Smoker stood there awkwardly, smelling of cigarettes as he greeted her. Lainy hastily retrieved the book while he wandered in, Panda barking at him noisily and Polar hissing from the couch nearby. Lainy hushed them while the man looked nervously at the animals.

"Here's the book he wanted you to have," she said, giving an uncertain frown as Smoker took it. He nodded, flipping through the pages until something caught his eye. She couldn't see what it was because he closed it up and held it to one side, but his expression made her curiosity skyrocket.

"How's he doing? He unpack yet?" Smoker asked.

"No," Lainy said uncomfortably. "I'm so afraid of him just taking off in the middle of the night that it's difficult to sleep very well. It's been smooth so far…he's just so quiet."

"Give it a couple of weeks," Smoker advised. "Most kids won't get comfortable until something in their minds lets them. With your guys' history, it might take him a little longer than that. I'm not saying bending any rules for him, keep them strong and sturdy and within means, but I'm not going to sugarcoat things. He has a reputation of running, and he still might. All I'm saying is keep your patience, be understanding, let him have his quirks. Like these animals, here. They needed time to settle in, eh?"

"Yes," Lainy agreed reluctantly, hearing Panda bark at Smoker from their room, where she'd sent him. Polar was watching Smoker with a fiercesome glare, waiting for him to come close; but the man kept his distance safely to a wall near the door for quick escape. "It's just…it's like living with a complete stranger."

"It's good you're feeding him," Smoker said with a glance at the dinner table. "Maybe he'll fill out a little more."

"He keeps to himself – I don't know if he's completing his homework, I don't know if he's…he stays to his room, mostly. Comes out for meals – he talks to Sanji at night on the phone."

"You going to get him one of his own?"

"Yes."

"I have a list of people that would love to have him for a part time gig if he's interested," Smoker then added helpfully.

Lainy looked at him reluctantly, and he understood. He wiggled the book. "Thanks for this. I'll be on my way. If you guys need anything, my cell is on. I'm going to grab some coffee."

"Will there…be any problem?" Lainy then asked. "I don't know what's happening, this is unexpected – his friend was just here today, and…after that night at the restaurant with his older brother, I'm a little nervous about what we might be stepping into."

"Me, too," Smoker admitted unhelpfully before he let himself out the door, Lainy looking after him with a frown. As he was closing the door, he added, "I have back up!"

Lainy returned to the table after retrieving her phone, hoping Lorenzo would at least give her a heads up. She spotted a message and saw that they'd be returning soon.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them tromped into the house, but there was nothing to indicate that there was any trouble. Sanji looked relieved that they were eating, but he was noticeably quieter than he was earlier. Panda crowded him immediately, greeting him as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

"Would you like a plate?" she offered, rising from her chair as they settled themselves at the table.

"No thanks, I'm still wearing dinner," Sanji said airily, and it was true – his shirt had some odd splatter around the chest and collar; they were PE clothes. He was wearing house sandals, and one of his exposed wrists was noticeably darker than his skin tone, but he lowered his hands to his lap as Lorenzo and Law resettled in their chairs. "Sorry for bothering you guys – I didn't know where else to go."

"Trouble?" Lainy asked.

"Just another night at the Vinsmokes," Sanji said lightly. He looked at the lasagna with interest, so Lainy served him anyway. "What do you use in this?"

Lainy told him while the other two quietly began to eat, Law watching his friend with a tense air, his fork slower to reach his mouth. Sanji took the plate and immediately began tearing the square apart, examining the contents for himself while trying out pieces individually. Panda nosed against his arm, looking for scraps and affection, sitting close to his chair.

Lorenzo told them the title of the movie that they were going to watch, to which Law said, "He's going to change, first."

With that they left the table hastily, leaving the pair to blink after them curiously. Once they were out of earshot, Lainy looked at Lorenzo for an explanation.

"He didn't say," Lorenzo whispered low. "He didn't say much of anything. But Law is clinging to him – he was alone, I don't know if we'll be visited, or…"

"Our phone number is not listed. You don't think anyone can find us if they're looking, right? I wouldn't want to encounter Judge if he happened to show up. What are we supposed to do?" Lainy whispered back anxiously.

"I…I don't know," Lorenzo said with a fumbling expression. "He just said he needed to get away for a couple of hours. He arranged for a ride home."

"With whom? He just said he had nowhere else to go."

Lorenzo was puzzled with that question, offering only a clueless shrug. Lainy looked at him with frustration, then out to the hall that led to Law's bedroom. The door was open, but she couldn't hear their voices. Polar was sitting in the doorway with her ears flicking, Panda nowhere in sight.

"He called Smoker," she then murmured, using her fork to pat at her food. "And gave him something. I'm not sure…but Smoker had also mentioned he was aware of what's happening. He said he had 'back up' – I don't know if they started a file on this child, or if we should express more concern, but it seems that they're aware of things."

"Has it gone that far?"

"If you'd seen them that night – it was normal for them," Lainy said with a shudder. "That sort of play – or whichever it was, it was violence to me. And their reputation, the way he speaks of his own family – I'm not sure how involved we should be, especially considering our position with our own son."

Lorenzo gave a troubled sigh. After a brush of fingers through his own hair, he said, "We knew this wasn't going to be easy to begin with. I guess when it rains, it pours."

Lainy frowned at her husband's lack of advice, but he was just as clueless as she was to handle the situation. They'd only expected trouble with their son's return – the ups and downs of an emotional and spiritual roller coaster, with internal battles raged only within them. She didn't expect to be drawn into another's situation with other opponents. In a way, she wanted to dismiss and push Sanji's situation away from them – lighten the load of their plate. But she knew they couldn't, not with Law's attachment to him.

"In another universe," Lorenzo then said, "if…none of this had ever happened, we'd still have to bear the weight of his friends' involvement. Whether it's good or bad – it's for him, right? If he needs support while his friend is in trouble, we must give it regardless of our thoughts or feelings. We turn him away, it's like we're turning Law away."

Lainy exhaled heavily. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly. "I was prepared for some things, but not all of them. I suppose we'll just have to do our very best. Whatever comes, we just have to endure it and pull through it, much as we've done, before, hon."

Lorenzo nodded, patting her hand before returning to his meal.

Meanwhile, Law pulled out a shirt from his trashbag that he knew was clean, and gave it to Sanji so he could change into it. Sanji eyed the bag with distrust, then looked at the closet before wiping the look from his face as Law looked at him.

"It's only coffee," he told Law as he changed quickly. He was wearing an undershirt, so Law didn't see any new bruises – just red welts that he knew well. Sanji said it carelessly but it must've been hot to leave evidence behind like that.

"What happened?" he asked quietly as Panda waited for Sanji's notice.

"I asked dad when I was moving to mom's, and he said he wasn't going to do that. I disagreed with him," Sanji grumbled, pulling the shirt around himself. It hung down to his thighs, the half sleeves covering his elbows. "Why are you so tall?"

"Just…verbally disagreed with him?"

"There might've been other stuff," Sanji added, looking around his room. He spied the presents sitting on the desk and immediately ventured over to investigate. There was a box with a cellphone – with the plastic wrapping still in place – and some giftcards. He felt annoyed that he was without his cellphone so that they could at least have some form of privacy in communication. All the things he could tag Law in, the memes, the photos, the gifs in text messages – it was a loss that he felt internally, made stronger with his own dramatics. "Wow, you made out like a bandit! I like these places!"

Law reached out and touched his shoulder. That was all it took for Sanji to crowd up against him, pushing his face against his chest to hide his expression so Law hugged him tightly, wishing he could take some of the trauma away from him. Hours earlier, things were so light and hopeful; now it seemed tense and quiet, and he knew there was nothing he could say or do but understand.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Sanji confessed tightly, voice muffled against Law's chest. "I talk all this shit about being able to handle it, but I don't think I can. Now he thinks he can keep doing this because I want to go to mom's. He doesn't want me going, now."

Law nodded. They stood there until he pulled away. "Take these pictures, too."

"I don't know," Sanji said with uncertainty, looking his age. "I don't know if I – "

" _No_ , they're important. I can take them, add to your collection. You're going to need them."

"But – _who's going to believe me_? This is dad, he has - !"

"People will believe you. Take them, keep them. They're your power."

"I don't want your parents to know, or get involved – they don't know I came here, I erased the number every time I called it."

"Ichiji called here – "

Sanji thought about it for a few moments, wondering if his older brother had found Law's new housing information at the school. If so, then he would know where Law lived once he was sent to retrieve him. He swallowed tightly, frustrated at his brother's abuse of power. "They're going to come here to get me, they're going to find me, I shouldn't've come here like this - !"

Law pushed away from him to get his backpack. He found the paper Sabo had given him as Sanji watched him. He held it out to them, Sanji looking at it with a puzzled frown.

Law said, "They want to help. Garp makes anyone uncomfortable – even Zeff would be a good choice. There are people out there that aren't afraid of your dad."

"He'll _ruin_ them!" Sanji insisted, growing more and more panicked as he thought of his father's reach. "He's rich! They aren't! He's going to say I ran away, he's - !"

"With these pictures, it's a different story. Let me go borrow one of their phones, and we can call them."

" _No_ ," Sanji said, catching his arm with a stubborn expression. " _No_ , they're not going to want to help me! I – we're not even friends! They - !"

"Sabo said he wants to help. Garp is a teacher, he's required by law to report anything suspicious to the authorities. If you can get to one of them, first, your dad's going to have a hard time explaining those pictures and these – let me get a phone." Law pulled out of his grasp more firmly and left the room while Sanji struggled to compose himself.

His heart raced with fear, anxiety over what would happen to him if his father caught up or if Sanji had to reveal to others – _people he wasn't even close to, people he saw everyday_ – what was happening. No one would believe him – how could they with his personality and his actions? He was a bully himself – admittedly less since Law came along. No one would feel any empathy for him and his situation. They'd think he deserved it – and he would, considering his history.

 _He deserved it_ , he knew people would think. And who would stick their neck out for him? Especially after all the trouble he brought to Luffy, how he spoke to people, what he'd done in the past; he wasn't a likeable person.

Law returned moments later, shutting and locking the door behind him with Lainy's phone in hand. Sanji pointed at the one sitting on his desk.

"I don't want to open it," Law mumbled, unsure of whether he'd accept the gift. He still wasn't sure how long he'd stick around. It was still new, this living situation of his.

"I don't want to do this," Sanji repeated as Law furrowed his brow with concentration upon examining the phone. It was a Samsung, and Lainy had her apps in a confusing order within multiple pages; despite himself, Sanji took it from him and found the right app because teenage impulse couldn't stand that someone Law's age had no idea how to find a simple camera app on a cellphone. But once he had it in hand, he stared at it in disgust. "God, why is your mom so _old_? She has _multiple copied apps_ on _random pages_ – does she even know how a smartphone works? _Smarter_ , not harder!"

Law snatched it back from him, fiddling with it clumsily. Sanji grasped his shirt with both hands, reluctant to remove it. He froze because blood was pounding between his ears and his jaw tensed tightly. "Law…"

Sensing his reluctance, Law looked at him. He was comfortable with this. Comfortable because he had been surrounded by it, because he lived through this. With his own experience, with other foster kids – with the friends he'd left behind. He knew what Sanji was going through. He _understood_.

"Right now you don't want to," he said slowly, licking his lips and tasting lasagna grease. "Because you're scared. And you should be. But it escalated, didn't it? From verbal putdowns and finally a physical confrontation. It won't stop, Sanji, until you're back under his control. You're a strong person, Sanji. Stubborn and willful – you write To-Do lists and keep record of your grades in your notebook. You don't have to turn this in, now. But you can add it to your collection for later. Because you _will_ want it in the future, when you've had enough. And you _will_ get to that point. Maybe when you're an adult, or when he starts putting expectations on your kids – maybe then you'll need it."

Sanji thought about it, still clasping tightly onto his shirt. After some moments he gave a nod and removed it.

After sending it to his email, Law deleted the photos from Lainy's albums. Sanji took it from him and did some intensive searching to make sure no cloud would hold onto it. After that, Law took the phone from him, Sanji watching him nervously. Law was proud of him. He kissed his forehead before asking, "Garp or Zeff?"

"Zeff," Sanji decided with some uncertainty. "I'm not ready for those other guys knowing this."

"Because you think they'll will judge you? Think you're not worthy of any help? Who do you think kept interfering when those guys were bothering us at school? Asides from that one incident, has Luffy deliberately targeted you back? No, he keeps offering you food, and took over on your pad gaffe. How does that not convince you that you matter to them?"

"You use words no one else does, and it makes you sound stupid," Sanji muttered, with no real bite to it. He wiped his eyes, and Law didn't take that comment to heart because he knew Sanji was only trying to regain his footing. "Dad's going to report me as a runaway."

"Will he? After what he did? You left on your own, right? You've done so before to get your head back on."

Sanji shrugged, wiping his nose with his shirt.

Law didn't want to tell him what he did with the photos earlier. It wasn't time, yet. He was going to send that email to Smoker to add to it.

"Then he can't bother you guys," Sanji decided. "If he doesn't know where I am, I can think about this."

"Okay. Then call Zeff," Law said.

Sanji nodded slowly then dialed the man's phone – but didn't depress the connect button just yet. He looked at the taller teen, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Law pushed the button for him. In a few moments, the older man's voice became audible and Sanji hesitated to say anything. Law prodded him to speak, and Sanji cleared his throat, turning away from him to speak.

"Old man," he started off when he paused, then looked at the phone incredulously. Law could hear Zeff snapping out something, and for a moment he was alarmed, making to pull the phone from Sanji when Sanji pressed it back up to his ear, snapping back, "Don't bawl me out for what my dad did! Can I stay with you, or not? Don't make it sound like that! I'm coming over! Come pick me up!"

He gave the address with a huff, Law looking at him with a puzzled expression. He didn't know what Zeff was saying to get that sort of response; he didn't know him personally, but Sanji seemed quite comfortable bawling him out right back. When he hung up, he looked a little relieved.

"He said he'll be here in twenty," he told Law.

"What kind of relationship do you guys have?" Law asked him incredulously.

"He was mad because 'I let dad quit me'. Told me to tell him face to face like a man then told me if I was coming over that I had to leave my snot at the door – anyway, he said he'd take me for tonight."

"Tell him."

" _What's he going to do_?" Sanji protested. "He's just a cook!"

"He might be, but you mentioned he came from – "

"Dad might get him deported!"

Law wasn't sure what to say so he gave up saying anything. Sanji's panic was starting to emerge again, but what was done was done. Zeff had the address, and Law somehow knew the old man would show up to get Sanji. It was scary to think that Sanji would trust someone that he'd had limited contact with – but the man didn't give Law any bad vibes. He could tell rotten people, and there wasn't any of that present with this one. Still, it left him unsettled and uneasy just to pass his friend off to someone else, but he had to tell himself it was better than Judge retrieving him.

The knock at his bedroom door caused Sanji to compose himself hastily. They stepped away from each other, but Panda gave a gentle woof from Law's bed. Both of them had forgotten the dog was there. Law opened the door, Lorenzo giving them an uncomfortable look.

"My ride's coming!" Sanji announced cheerily, rolling up his sleeves. "Is dinner still on the table?"

"It is, but…is everything…okay?"

"It's fine! I was just griping because Law's taller than me," Sanji said, leaving the room, Panda following after him eagerly. Lorenzo looked at Law, who shrugged in response.

Law wasn't sure what to say to Lorenzo, but he had to warn him. He swallowed tightly before saying, "He just needs to get away. But, um…his dad might be looking for him."

Lorenzo studied his expression. "What should be said?"

"He wasn't here."

Uncomfortable with that, Lorenzo visibly fretted.

"It's for his _safety_ ," Law added tightly.

"Okay," Lorenzo acquiesced. "Your mom was…very upset with the way he was treated. This is understandable if it's for that. I think that if something happened to which we need to know about it, both of you will have to say something. For his safety – is this something we'd have to give to the proper authorities to handle, or - ?"

"It's already figured out," Law answered, still speaking with a tight tone as he waited for Lorenzo to deny this action.

Lorenzo reached up to rub the back of his neck, looking at his son with a thoughtful expression. "In order to make this work," he said gently, "we must trust each other. _Learn_ to trust each other. I realize things aren't going to magically fall into place with us, there's a lot of work to do, but I…I want to do things correctly. For your best interests. I understand how important Sanji is to you – he can be for us, as well, but if this is going to involve a situation where authorities need to be contacted – "

"I'm already talking to them."

"So, Smoker is aware of the situation?" Lorenzo asked. "Because if that's so, I might have to remind you that I am in a position of – "

" _I know_."

Lorenzo trailed off. He felt awkward and unsure, standing in front of his son, who looked at him as if he were a strange butting his head into Law's business. But he had a right to – as parent, but were the lines blurred if Law was at the age to make his own decisions? The floor was still so delicate; he could be overstepping his line, he could be too far away from it to even cross – but the younger teen was out of his reach to consider family. Sanji was still a kid himself, someone Lorenzo had no authority over but he was mandated by law to make a report himself if he felt the situation demanded it.

His morals demanded his own course of action, but it was muddled with his own decisions regarding his own son.

"It's handled," Law told him before brushing by abruptly so that Lorenzo had to move to give him room. He returned to the kitchen as Lorenzo looked after him, feeling his stomach twist with anxiety.

Forty minutes after Sanji had left with Zeff – the older man gruffly taking control over the teen as Lorenzo monitored with a puzzled air – the knock at their door startled them. Panda barked at the noise, Lorenzo patting Lainy's shoulder as he went to answer. Law was on his feet and off to the side, as tense as a coil waiting to spring. Lainy swallowed back the nervous lump in her throat as she listened for the confrontation that was surely to occur if there was a Vinsmoke at the door.

Lorenzo answered the door, seeing the surly-faced teen standing there, arms crossed over his chest.

"My brother's expected back at home," Ichiji stated.

"I'm sorry?" Lorenzo said dumbly, wondering if that was the teen's natural hair color.

"Sanji. Where is he?"

After a moment, Lorenzo looked to Law. Law shrugged in response. He turned back to Ichiji, saying, "I think you're mistaken. We haven't seen him all day. Was he supposed to be here?"

Ichiji frowned tightly at him. "This late at night, it's only natural to assume that he's spending time with his boyfriend after being upset at home. Dramatic as he is, it was assumed he'd come crying here. He's needed back upon our father's orders."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you,' Lorenzo said stiffly. "We haven't seen nor heard from him. We've been out all day, considering that it's Law's birthday."

Ichiji stared at him for several long moments, making the man uncomfortable. His eyes slid to the side, to where Lorenzo had looked – but from his angle, he couldn't see Law. Law waited for the teen to say something, do anything to demand answers, but Ichiji nodded.

"All right," he conceded.

"We hope he's okay," Lorenzo added.

"Will you be at school Monday?" Ichiji then asked, directing the question towards Law.

Law didn't answer, because he didn't feel he needed to.

"It'd be a shame if you dropped out," Ichiji then said, turning to leave. "Because where else would Sanji find any support in times of need?"

"Hey…" Lorenzo started to say when the teen left the porch, Panda barking after him. But not knowing the red-haired boy himself, Lorenzo wasn't sure how to take the comment. He watched as a blue haired boy hung out from the passenger side seat with a catty greeting that didn't sound too friendly. The Buick pulled away, and he felt a sense of unease ride up his spine.

He closed the door to look back at his family. Law had a tight look to his face, and Lainy looked troubled.

"I get the feeling he's not a nice kid," he grumbled.

"It was that one," Lainy said. "His older brother."

"Was that a threat directed towards either of you?" Lorenzo asked Law.

The teen shrugged, but he wandered to his room in silence, shutting the door behind him. Lorenzo looked to Lainy, and neither of them could finish the movie after that.

* * *

 **RR** : Yes, and what a position the trio of L is going through already! As this chapter went, certain information was passed along. The pair haven't officially said lol but it's already in the process as things go, hm? With their situations as they're crawling along, it's hard to say – Yep, he's my bf. So it's like, unsaid… later on down the road, maybe they can admit it? :D Judge does inspire fright in those that know of his reputation – darn lawyers – but L and L have had their battles, before. It's just finding the right leverage for themselves to get there, finding their place in this situation. With Law they're still on uneven ground – this is surely something that can disrupt what footing they have.

 **Penumbra** : Haha, you know how I roll! It's always fluffy before the bad hits! D: I'm so predictable it kills me lol Polar has certain expectations of her humans and households, and any new additions must be judged thoroughly to be sure they're worthy of her presence! And thank you for that compliment! I'm feeling all snug and warm on this cold, wintery day (it's the last day of summer and it's freaking SNOWING and im so upset T.T)

 **Naghi-Tan** : Judge wants to after this night! The brothers were conditioned to do so – they received all the love and praise for their hard efforts, so they don't understand anything else from their father. Seeing the way Sanji had been treated the other night certainty spooked them – without too many punishments in their lives because of the trails they blaze with Judge's approval, it was definitely a reminder to remain on their father's set path. D:

 **Sarge1130** : My, you were certainly a busy reader! Thank you for all the comments you left behind as you made your way through them! The am was definitely one of his better times, but the night progressed into some expected tension. Sanji did want to make his day special, and did his best despite his own conflict. While they were treated to who Sanji was in the restaurant, they were bulldozed with him as a person in their own home – they were still trying to recover from that, later lol As a teen, he's definitely very vocal and opinionated, and from the beginning, he struggles to be heard – this is his personality. He's going to be heard no matter what, and he's lived his life bulldozing through his brothers, so he hasn't changed yet. He's only sensitive towards one person, he still has to broaden his horizons a little more to include others, but he's young and he's venturing out from the world he'd just fought hand and tooth to leave so as an adult, who knows what sort of a person he'll be? :D Thank you so much for your thoughts! I enjoyed reading them!


	35. Chapter 35

**35**

* * *

Zeff's house was a small one-story near the edge of town, and it caused Sanji pause as he ventured in. He expected a homey setting like that of Baratie's – not a yard full of chickens and ducks, a living room that had only a couch and lawn chair in front of a full bodied TV from the eighties with rabbit ears. The curtains had ducks on them, the braided rope rug had dancing chickens, and it smelled like spices and chicken throughout the entire house. He didn't even see a visible router to assure him of any wifi. The kitchen was clean and sparkly, with duck curtains and matching rugs, rags, and dishes all in the shade of red. There was a rotary phone visible on the end of one counter, and phone books stacked neatly against that wall. The narrow hall nearby creaked with just their entrance into the house, showing off a single bathroom at the end and a bedroom that looked packed with boxes and suits encased in plastic from a rolling hanger.

Sanji thought he walked into some sort of hell. He looked at Zeff as the older man shuffled by him, grumbling about missing an episode of 'Frasier'. "Are you a time traveler?" he asked incredulously. "You can't find your way back to the nineties?"

"Shut up and take a squat on the couch, there."

Sanji shivered because that couch looked as if it had survived the seventies, clinging together with mismatched fabric patches and a sunken frame. When he delicately sat where it seemed safest, the couch groaned, sinking close to the floor, and he froze because any movement might cause its demise.

"What are you doing out this late?" Zeff asked him, sinking into his chair in front of the tv – after he turned it on by hand and a blurry display of his show returned back into view.

"Is that thing even capable of cable?" Sanji asked skeptically.

"I'm obviously not at home all the time, brat!"

"I've never been to a museum where a person actually lived in it," Sanji breathed, unable to fathom the duck curtains that seemed straight out of a country home, or even a baby's room.

Zeff rolled his eyes, then grumpily settled back against the worn cushion of his seat. "When are you expected back home?"

Sanji frowned, fiddling with his fingers before saying, "I was hoping I could spend the night."

Zeff looked at him sharply. " _What_?"

"Look," Sanji said hastily, "some stuff came up. I just need dad to chill out for a bit before he freaks out again. He's…I don't know, been on edge, or something, we keep butting heads."

"Then it's his responsibility as an adult to conduct himself as an adult, not act like some punk where his kid feels like he can't go home. Go to your mom's."

"She lives twelve hours away! I can't just pop over for a visit without organizing money for a plane ticket, or whatever! Besides, dad doesn't want me 'bothering' her because she's not well off like he is," Sanji added. "He just needs some time to calm down and realize that I'm not his mini-puppet, anymore. I want to live my own life to do my own shit, and – "

"At sixteen, you're suddenly an adult?" Zeff asked.

"No, I'm just saying – "

"Because you live in his house with his rules, you can't be changing them to fit your likes and dislikes. Parents are tough for a reason."

"Mine doesn't have to be an ass about stuff – "

"I know how you get, but you can't just decide to live life the way you want it if you're living under his roof!"

"I can't meet his expectations anymore! I can't – I don't want to! See, the thing with dad is, if I don't fall into his group, then I'm not 'good enough', and all my life I tried hard to be 'good enough', but it wasn't _good enough_ for him! _None_ of it was! Then when I realized what I wanted and who I can truly be, he suddenly has a huge problem with it! I can't live that way, anymore!"

"Everybody feels that way after awhile, but it's not up to you to – " Zeff scowled as his phone rang, Sanji amazed at the ringer that sounded as if it were on the verge of dying at any minute. The older man looked at the chicken clock just above the television set and looked puzzled. It took him a few moments to push up and away from his chair as Sanji frowned after him.

He sat uncomfortably as he continued to take in the living room with book heavy cases that held recipe books from all over the world, some photo albums, stacks of magazines that towered dangerously over their heads. He wondered if Zeff was a hoarder. The doilies under the duck-styled lamps were faded and yellowed from some century back, and when he sniffed the air, he thought he detected mold, but he wasn't sure. He had to wonder if mold had a smell.

He heard Zeff snapping at whoever it was on the phone, and tuned in. Once he realized the older man's defensive tone, he understood that his father had somehow tracked him down to here. Panic raced through him – what if Judge sent the police over, what if they caused trouble with Zeff that interfered with his restaurant business? What if Judge had tried Law's already?

He rose from the couch, hearing it protest and groan. Worry crossed his expression as he heard Zeff demand an explanation to a threat he'd just heard, hearing that authoritive voice grow deeper and angier as the conversation continued. Distressed by the trouble being caused because of him, Sanji turned and left the house. He pulled off his sandals to make a quicker getaway from the place – if he wasn't there, if Zeff couldn't say where he was, then it would be like he wasn't there in the first place. The neighborhood was quiet and more clustered together than he was used to seeing – it seemed like everyone lacked fences or the authority of the HOA to keep the area nice and neat. The air was cool, and he wouldn't freeze to death if he chose to stay out all night. But he couldn't fathom doing that in the first place. All his life he'd lived in a house with all the amenities of modern convenience, so just thinking about the things Law did to avoid going home seemed alien and fictional.

He didn't know where to go – he didn't have a cellphone or money, and everyone his family could think of he'd have any closeness to were already contacted. His father would make it difficult for anybody with his position,and with a sigh of reluctance, he headed for the nearest convenience store. He couldn't imagine sleeping in a park tonight, or even knew what to do to avoid another skirmish with his father; just imagined that it could get worse with some verbal confrontation over running away after Judge tossed his coffee at him for the request to go to his mother's.

He used the store's phone to call home, catching Judge – the man told him his brothers would be there shortly. Sanji waited outside after hanging up, and he leaned up against the wall, feeling bad for involving others into his mess. What if this was all his fault to begin with? Like Zeff said, maybe it wasn't his place to live his own life when living under Judge's roof. He could only imagine how hard Judge would make Sola's life if Sanji made it home to her, and if she wasn't as well off as they were, then she would have an especially hard time with him. She would even send him back, Sanji imagined, just to get rid of Judge's grief. After all, she had moved away just to get away from him.

He exhaled shakily. He felt trapped and confined and had no way of reaching out. He regretted letting Law take those pictures – what if Law used them with good intentions, but it backfired on him? Judge could destroy him based on Law's past, and the older teen was just getting his footing back on the ground after having such a hard time –

Sanji wiped his eyes and struggled to reset his expression. If his brothers saw him in this state, he would be torn to shreds for this sign of weakness. He felt resigned to returning home, anxiety racing through him at what trouble he'd caused his father, tonight. He was scared – he had mounting reasons why, and he rubbed his chest where hot coffee had hit, unconsciously feeling for damage. He was sure Judge wouldn't do any more than that after he'd lost control the first time, but now he had reason to doubt even himself.

A vehicle pulled up in front of him, and he didn't look up at first because it wasn't the Buick – but once he heard the car door open and close, he looked up to seeing a tall man with a white hat pulled over grey hair looking at him skeptically. Because of his facial hair, Sanji wondered if this guy and Zeff traded fashion tips. The tall man stood before him, wearing crumbs of some sort on his braided goatee, his maroon button-down shirt with a faint cluster of something white on his chest. He had sleep lines on his wrinkled cheek, like he'd been napping.

"You Sanji?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah, why?" Sanji asked suspiciously.

"Your father called. Said you needed a ride home," he said.

Sanji wasn't sure who this man was – but his father did have a lot of friends. Reluctantly, he nodded.

The man gestured at the truck – a souped up Chevy with tinted windows, Sanji noted – and he reluctantly followed through with the man's gesture. He climbed into the seat and pulled his seatbelt on with a heavy sigh as the man returned to the driver's side. Sanji had time to look over the standard stereo system, a kid's faded school picture attached to the driver's side visor.

"No password?" he was asked suspiciously. "You just hop right into any one's car when prompted?"

"I don't know all of dad's friends," Sanji muttered. "I don't care."

For a few moments, the man just studied him with a frown. Country played quietly from the speakers, and Sanji noticed the dusting of white animal fur on the seats. He looked around to see if the animal was with them and was surprised to seeing a goat looking at him from the back seat, sitting like a dog would with an air of expectation around him. He gave a startled jerk.

" _You have a goat_?" he asked incredulously, reaching back to pet it, the animal looking at him with what seemed like a disapproving frown. "Just sitting in the car? Does he shit in here? Can you walk him like a dog?"

"He's shy, and would rather not be touched. Your father is very concerned, and would like you brought home. You caused some trouble tonight," the man added gruffly, pulling forward towards the exit.

Scowling out the window, Sanji said nothing. But his arms were crossed tightly over his chest and he felt irritated with this person telling him things he already knew. As for his father 'being concerned', it was probably just another tale Judge weaved to have some sympathy and cooperation from his friends to have Sanji returned home.

Nothing more was said as they hit the freeway, Sanji building up his confidence and strength as he told himself to be strong. Maybe he wasn't made with the same stuff Law was, but he could use some of the older teen's strength the next time something like this happened. He would have a better plan – maybe hide money at his house, maybe seek out a place he could stay far from his father's reach until he could get home on his own. He had a feeling Judge would throw a fit after being exposed like this –

Once he realized the exit was missed, he looked at the man with a frown.

"You missed it," he stated flatly. 'If you continue going this way, you're just going to have to go fifteen minutes around the other direction because of road construction and stupid cul de sacs."

"You're going home, right?"

" _Duh_!"

"Home isn't this way, brat. Your dad gave us specific directions where to go."

Puzzled, Sanji wasn't sure what the man was talking about. His home wasn't this way – was Judge sending him to someone else he trusted? Someone that was like him, and understood that Sanji was a problem? What if he was being sent to juvie, or, as Law suggested a while back, a 'gay camp'?

Sputtering, he said nervously, "But home isn't this way…where are we going? Where did he tell you to send me? I think you should let me out, just let me out here, I can get there from here."

The goat uttered a sharp bark, standing on the seat with his head lowered to look out the window.

"I received a call from your father earlier," the man said, digging out a bag from his side console, rattling it as he opened it. The goat was back at attention, leaning his head over the seat to investigate. "Several calls, in fact. Smoker had what he needed to drag her Honor Tsuru out of bed to sign an emergency TPO on your behalf and cut custody from Judge's order. You're going to your mom's."

Stunned, Sanji sat there for several long minutes, processing this information. Smoker's name was familiar, but he couldn't think of why he'd be involved – he felt betrayed, scared, angry, shocked; Law had given him away. Was it really that easy? A few pictures? Was that enough to pull him out of his father's grasp and physically transfer him from one place to the other without all the noise of a court, of police involvement, of even his own input? He looked at the man with his mouth open, unable to say a word as his heart thundered noisily.

"I'm on my way that way, anyway," the man said casually. "Fishing vacation. Should be nice this time of year. I wasn't even going to answer my cellphone, but Smoker approached me just as we were leaving. This is no trouble."

Sanji couldn't get over his feelings of betrayal – he felt that Law stabbed him in the back for this. He didn't even have a chance to say 'goodbye' – he didn't have a chance to grab anything from home, he had only these clothes - ! He felt uprooted and helpless, sitting in a vehicle with a man he didn't even know, being force fed information that didn't even make sense. His head thundered with all his thoughts and emotions, and he sat with a numb sense of physical sensation that left his shoulders slumped and his hands uselessly clamped together.

He swallowed, stuttering, " _Dad_ made these calls? This is how he gets rid of me?"

After crunching on some snacks for a few moments, the man said with a mouthful, "Blood doesn't always determine a father. Could be someone else that steps up when another man steps down."

"I haven't made that much of an impact on anyone's life," Sanji said quietly, feeling his eyes burn with an embarrassing fill of heat. "There's no one else I knew that I could consider another 'father'."

"Doesn't take much, I suppose. Some kids just come into an old man's life and leave just as quickly," the man sighed, looking at the picture on the visor. "But they leave imprints that never go away, no matter how short or long the visit."

Sanji looked at the picture on the visor, feeling his nose start to run. He used his t-shirt hem to wipe it. In a way, he felt some relief at the lack of confrontation he'd have to face once he returned home, but in another, he felt like a large piece of him had been ripped away suddenly. This was the only life he knew – he didn't have a chance to say anything to those he'd been close to. He felt suddenly angry and resentful because Law lied to him, and because he didn't know if he'd get to see the other teen again. In the flurry of all this upsetting action, he couldn't even remember Law's phone number. He could look it up, he could track him down via his parents – but would he even get a chance to? Would Law stay permanently with his parents? Now that Sanji was gone, there was no one to encourage the older teen to stay.

"It's okay to be shocked," the man told him. "Take all the time you need."

Sanji had all the words in the world on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't release them. That heavy knot in the middle of his throat just wouldn't go away.

: :

Six hours later, in the early morning hours where the sun wasn't even ready to rise over the rolling hills, they pulled into a truck stop. Sanji was still stiff and quiet, his limbs tense with incredible unease and anxiety, so when he saw Sola looking over from a maroon sedan from the parking lot with a hopeful look to her face, it felt like he was shocked into awakening. He climbed out of the truck with a haste, Sola quickly waking Reiju next to her before leaving her car. She hurried to him with her arms wide, and Sanji was shocked at how much he'd missed his mother's physical presence. It felt like it had been years – maybe it had been – since he'd felt her touch, and he was taller than her; she was smaller, skinnier than the last time he'd seen her, but she still smelled the same and the strength in her grasp was immeasurable as she clung to him tightly. Reiju hurried over, dressed in sleep clothes and she hugged him from behind with a happy greeting.

Uncomfortably, the man coughed as he held his goat on a leash, the goat nibbling at trash over the asphalt as trucks rumbled in the corridor nearby, their drivers taking advantage of the night to rest. The few gas pumps were empty, and the place looked deserted – but the cashier inside was yawning as he watched something on his phone and truckers could be heard at the diesel pumps in the back.

Sola released Sanji so she could face him, taking the manila envelope from him that Sanji hadn't seen earlier. "Thank you so much, Sengokou!" she said heavily, clutching it tightly. "I deeply appreciate this!"

"It's no problem, Sola," Sengokou said with an easy smile at her. "I was happy to help. It's good to see you again."

"Same here, but the circumstances could be a lot different! This is all that I'll need?" she asked, rifling through the envelope as Sanji caught wind of their conversation, Reiju releasing him just enough for him to turn and watch. She rubbed his arms as the cold touched them, attempting to warm him. The climate was different from the one he was used to – the air was sharper here, fresh, with a hint of rain in the distance.

"The signed order is all intact, and the originals are in the new file. He won't be able to contact any of you, and if he does, you just note the time and content and we'll do the rest," Sengokou said, his goat tugging on the leash. "Tsuru signed the order, but she's transferring it to Akainu – and he has a thing against Judge in the first place, so I can say with confidence that Judge won't be able to have any say from this point on. Not with this new file."

"That son of a bitch," Sola muttered, the paper wrinkling in her grasp as her fingers clenched them tightly.

"I apologize, but it took an action to cause a reaction in the system," Sengokou murmured. "Unfortunately, that's how the law works. Your son was very smart with his documentation; there's no way Judge could lie his way out of what happened."

Reiju hugged Sanji tightly suddenly, Sanji feeling numb as he listened. He could feel his sister's heart racing, her limbs shaking as if holding onto him tightly in the event that he would be taken away.

Sola turned to look at him, her large eyes blinking rapidly; but she nodded. She reached out to ruffle his hair before turning to Sengokou again. "Let me at least fill your tank!"

"Don't worry about it, it's mileage earned," he said, waving her off as the goat pulled at him once more, aiming for a small dog park near the dumpster. "Just have a safe travel home, get that boy situated. He's going to need a few to understand what's happening."

"I thank you so much!" Sola said, watching him walk off with a casual wave over his shoulder. "Thank you!"

She turned to Sanji again, reaching out with examine him fitfully. "Are you hurt anywhere else, baby? He's not going to do this again, I assure you! Those guys are tough! They won't let your father anywhere near you after what he did! Oh, god, Sanji, why didn't you tell me this was happening? We could've taken you away so much sooner!"

"I…I…." Sanji couldn't find the words to speak just yet, still in a daze. He thought of home, of school, of Law…he was ready to move out of there, but he just didn't have a chance to say anything! He shook his head, words tumbling over and over with painful weight. Sola hugged him tightly, Reiju giving her space.

"Let's go home, now," she said. "And don't you worry about anything – there is nothing I can't provide! You are not a burden, you are a gift! I hate that this happened this way, Sanji, this wasn't the way I wanted it to go."

"I don't even know what to say," Sanji stammered, finally noticing the cold.

"You're too skinny!" Sola then cried, hastily ripping off her jacket. She thrust her hands into her jeans pockets and pushed the items at Reiju, waving at her to get moving. "Buy all the food, drinks! Buy _everything_! Sanji, look at you! Has he even been feeding you?"

As Reiju hurried off to the store, Sanji shook his head. Sengokou and his goat returned to the truck, and with Sola waving, the man left the area in a quiet rumble of his truck. Sanji felt uncomfortable as he now stood alone with her – this was his _mother_. He expected to be reunited with her, but not like this. He wasn't prepared. He wasn't himself. He was someone who had been ripped out of his home so suddenly – and he couldn't help but think of Law at that moment, someone who had been transferred from home to home…

The shirt he wore was the only thing he had of Law, now. He felt overwhelmed. He felt angry, he wanted to curse and hit the other teen for doing this to him – for throwing his world off balance and ruining everything - !

"I'm fed," he managed to say. "Just…I…I'm – mostly operating on…on - mom…"

Sola understood what he was feeling. She could hear the lack of confidence in him, read all his emotions. Her eyes filled with helpless and frustrated tears, and she grabbed handfuls of the ridiculously large shirt that covered her son's skinny frame and did a little push pull, rocking him nearly off his feet.

"We will fix this!" she promised fiercely. " _I_ will fix this! Your father is no longer allowed in your life from now on, I will make sure of it! It should've never come to this! I know it's so overwhelming right now, and it's okay – but you're safe now, you hear? You're safe with us! And don't even trouble yourself with thinking that you're any trouble on us, because you are not! Anything negative that your father might've said must leave you, now! I know he's said some pretty nasty things, but don't you worry, anymore! _You're safe_ , okay? That's what's most important. He can't harm you again! You hear?"

She had a faint accent, now, Sanji realized. Did she always have that different lilt in her tone? Had he even noticed? Weekly Face Time calls were so much different from the person standing in front of him, because it seemed the real thing was _too real_. She looked just like him – the same eyes, the hair, the emotional manner with which she conducted herself.

He couldn't say anything, but he nodded. He didn't feel confident yet – he couldn't after growing up as he did, after the events of the divorce and everything after. He was positive that Judge would use his influence to interfere yet again – get his way – and he'd be returned home before he could even get to know his mother and sister.

"Okay," he said hollowly, Sola clasping his face between her hands to examine his face before reaching out to hug him tightly again. Reiju appeared with a brown bag full of things from the store, and it was at that moment the number came to him. He pulled away from his mother. "Can I use your cellphone? I need to call someone…"

"This late at night?" she asked, opening her car to find it nestled in the middle console.

He nodded again, and dialed the number that came to him as soon as he could type.

Law answered on the third ring, and for a moment, Sanji couldn't speak. He turned away from Sola's curious head-tilt, taking a few steps away from her before he hissed, " _How could you do this to me_?"

"Are you safe?" Law asked calmly in return. "This is your mother's number?"

Sanji felt his face crumble, and he pressed his palm against his forehead in an effort to stave off his angry words and actions, but he wasn't one to fully control himself. "You motherfucker! You betrayed my trust! I told you I wasn't ready to do this! I wasn't ready to – I didn't want to do this! You stabbed me in the fucking back! After _everything_ I did for you, you did this to me? What the fuck is your fucking problem?"

Law was quiet for a few moments as Sanji sought to gain control over his harsh breathing, his leaking eyes, and the shirt he wore wasn't doing what it was supposed to in wiping everything properly. He felt like he was breathing too hard too fast, and he gulped in air as he waited for an answer.

"I'm glad you're safe, Sanji," Law said quietly. "Even if it's not what you wanted, at least you're safe."

"Don't tell me that!" Sanji screamed at him, his voice ringing out over the emptiness of the parking lot. Reaching out to the hills that were still buried within the nighttime shadows. "Don't tell me that stuff, you're a fucking _liar_! I told you I wasn't ready for this! You've made things so much worse! _I told you why_!"

"It'll hurt for a little while, but once you start settling in, you'll realize how much easier it is getting up the next day for – "

"I don't want to talk to you, don't even talk to me, I fucking hate you right now! You ruined _everything_!"

Sanji hung up abruptly, tears dripping over his cheeks, struggling to get his breath. He regretted that phone call, he regretted the words he'd released. He didn't mean any of them – but he felt betrayed. He felt like his entire world just crumbled and disappeared underneath his feet, and he had no control over himself or anything. It should have been a relief – he would no longer be living under Judge's rules, his roof, go through daily upsets with his brothers; but at the same time, he didn't have a chance to say goodbye or prepare himself for this. He wasn't ready; he was unprepared; he knew it could only get worse.

Just hearing Law's voice set off something deep inside of him – the older teen was now miles away from him, out of his reach – how could this guy do this to him after everything Sanji had done for him? Deep inside of himself he knew Law was right, but he was without anything – just the clothes he wore, putting his mother into a perilous situation, leaving without any warning at all.

He was so frustrated and overwhelmed that everything hurt – it felt like one minute he had been happy and confident and the next smashed into smithereens from the inside. He felt his mother's hands on his shoulders, coming around him gently, and he realized he was sobbing breathlessly because he felt like he'd just lost everything in the world. Sola comforted him quietly, soothing him with her hands and voice, saying things that Sanji couldn't process right now.

She hugged him tightly to somehow keep him held together – it broke her heart to see her usually overanxious and demanding son so suddenly fragile and vulnerable, and whoever it was he was yelling at – she prayed that they'd be understanding.

* * *

 **HS** : He did – more will come on that, soon! He's definitely going to need that cellphone, now! And now that Sanji's gone from the area, it's the aftermath that happens D: So it'll be a sort of clusterfuck as everyone starts to learn more about Sanji's disappearance; his brothers' reactions, Law's stance, and the ASL trio's involvement. I'm emotionally ready to finish this fic D: And as always, thank you for pointing out the errors and such! I appreciate it and urge you to continue lol Sometimes when I'm writing emotional things I get all wacky and don't seen any of my mistakes, so keep it up! :D

 **Rainbow D. Jay** : Thank you for all your comments and for reading the fic! It is quite an emotional rollercoaster! D: It will continue to be so until the very end – which is what I'm writing so frantically for. So keep those tissues handy!

 **Naghi-Tan** : He absolutely can be. Judge in training – but what is his true personality? I bet in canon he's the biggest baby XD I should write him like that, but he's more fun to write conniving and evil. Yep, Law tries to help as best as he can – he knows what to expect and knows his connections – even if his connections think that he hates them – but as a teenager, there's truly nothing he can do but support Sanji as best as possible, and use what was given to him for Sanji's best interests. And he has – but they're still just kids, they can't make the impossible possible! D:

 **Penumbra** : Their future looks sad and overwhelming, right now. T.T As teenagers, there's not much they can do for each other but call in adult interference. Just as Law did in this chapter, but Sanji's not grateful right now – his entire world was just slammed to a stop and replaced with something he wasn't fully ready for, and those teenage hormones just make it even worse. D: This was a difficult chapter to write because of it.


	36. Chapter 36

**36**

* * *

Sunday was difficult. Thinking about what had been done, Law sat at his empty desk and stared out the window with a heavy expression. He felt like a hole had been opened up in his chest, made raw with the intense quiet of a lazy, inactive day. He knew he'd done the right thing – he'd entrusted Smoker with the information and the man was quick and fast with the follow-through. He just hadn't expected it to be this fast – so sudden. It felt like someone had kicked his legs right out from under him and left a painful wound in his gut. He had expected Sanji to disappear with some time and effort, but not _this_ fast. The timing had been right – perfect, if he allowed himself to think about it more.

But it meant that he couldn't see the boy, anymore. The loss of Sanji's presence was like having his breath stolen from him. He wouldn't be able to smell that shitty combination of cologne and smoke anymore; wouldn't be able to touch that bony hand of his, wouldn't be treated to his machine-gun firing of rapid talking. Law felt like the only person that had come to understand him had been permanently removed from his life – and what if it were true? There was no reason for Sanji to come back – if Sola truly was a safe place, would a mother in fear of her ex-husband even try to return?

Not after seeing those pictures Law hoped. Hopefully she had found a backbone in the time she was away, made stronger by the family court system. He didn't know Sola, he only knew what Sanji told him of her. She'd chosen to move out of state away from them; most likely ridiculed and lied about, given Sanji's flip-flopping opinion when it came to his own mother. Law could only hope she would give into instinct to protect her own son when it was needed, by all means possible.

Hearing Sanji say those things to him – Law had figured it was running emotion, the shock of removal, the anger and hurt – _those_ were the things speaking for him. He was impulsive and fiery and even after Law had done those things to him before they had come to be anything – he hoped that this was just that. He couldn't express to anyone how much it hurt to have someone removed from his life like this. Rosinante was out of reach; Lamie was gone. Sanji had only been moved, but…only time would tell how well these things would hold up for any future reunion.

This pain was weighty and suffocating and he felt exhausted to the bone. This bittersweet thing ensured Sanji's safety from Judge; who knew how the situation would escalate after last night's escapade? Law just knew the worst of things – he couldn't think positively about it. Sanji would only grow more defiant and Judge more desperate to control the situation so it could only end cruelly and painfully, and Law had only that to rely on to make his decision.

He scratched his head, looking down at the discarded shirt he had laid over his lap. It smelled like Sanji. Like coffee, cologne and tinges of his body odor – really, it was the only thing he had of him. There wasn't a chance to say 'goodbye', and Sanji was furious with him; who knew if he'd ever forgive him for this? Maybe when time carried on and Sanji started to relax in that new world of his, maybe Sanji would call him and forgive him. But even that would hurt – because neither of them would be physically involved in the other's life, because lies were easy over the phone. Law told them all the time to Rosinante; it would be easy to tell Sanji because Sanji couldn't be there to read the truth physically.

He felt an ache in his gut – things had happened so fast. Wasn't yesterday at this time a warmer feeling?

So involved in his thoughts he didn't know someone was at the door until he heard the hard knocks. He debated on answering it because he wasn't ready to talk to his parents about the feelings he had right now; they were still strangers to him, and nothing they had to say would be reassuring. They'd only be outsiders speaking fake words of comfort that they couldn't feel, either.

"Let me in, kid," he heard Smoker say, rattling the knob.

Reluctantly, but trusting Smoker to say something on Sanji, Law set aside the shirt and went to unlock and open the door. The man walked in with an unimpressed look to his face as he surveyed the room before looking at him. He gestured at Law to follow him outside, where Lainy and Lorenzo looked after them nervously, Lorenzo holding Panda's collar as the dog barked at the worker.

"It'll only take a few minutes," Smoker assured them as they walked out the door. On the porch, he pulled out a couple of cigarettes – one for him, the other for Law. Law's addiction had him snatching the stick from him, and the taste of the nicotine was welcome. Numbing his brain to the pain he felt, leaving him dazed by the strength as it had been a few days since he last had one.

Smoker examined the yard, his car parked parallel to the curb. He said, "You did a good thing, don't second guess yourself. Because of the circumstances and the documentation you provided, it was cause for concern to expedite the process. The papers have already been served to that ass, he can't do anything else. You were included, this house – those boys have been warned to keep their distance at school. Any violation of this restraining order would be good on your behalf."

"Like a piece of paper could stop anybody," Law muttered. "I don't care."

Smoker exhaled heavily, cigarette caught between his teeth. He said, "I know you don't. You know them better than that piece of paper, so it's expected that you know what you might be walking into at school. It's a sticky situation, kid. If possible, another change of school might do you well."

Law didn't have ties to that school, but at the same time, he didn't fear those Vinsmokes. They unleashed their worst on their own sibling – after all the talk Ichiji warned him with, there was no point to the older brother's torment of him. Sanji was out of their reach, now. Anything they did to Law was futile, and he figured Ichiji was aware of that. He would be fine with their hostility, but school would be difficult because the only person he was attached to was gone. Starting over was nothing new for him, but it would feel hellish after having a taste of something different, something positive, having it taken away so abruptly without a chance to let it go.

While it wasn't comparable to Lamie's death, it was something close to it.

He watched ash fall from his cigarette, dashed onto the wooden slats of the porch. He stepped over it, streaking dark color over the weather-resistant paint.

Smoker finished his cigarette while Law was lost in these thoughts. He lit another one. "These things don't die so easily, kid," Smoker said, watching traffic flow. His voice became suddenly gentle. "Things happen as they do without anyone's control, but you can only tell yourself that you were lucky to experience it."

" _Lucky_?" Law repeated bitterly.

"Sometimes, even having a taste of something is all it takes to want that feeling again. These things aren't always a once a lifetime thing, kid. It can happen again and again, and – "

"Shut up, nothing you're saying is even important to what's happening now."

Smoker reached into his pocket and withdrew something white – a handful of tissue. Law stared at it blankly until he realized he was giving it to him for a reason. He hadn't realized his eyes were leaking of their own violation. He quickly wiped them, suddenly embarrassed for his own show of emotion. He hadn't done this in quite some time so it felt like once the feeling was recognized, it wouldn't stop. Because it was already in motion, there was no point denying it or pretending it wasn't happening. But he turned his attention to his shoes and kept focus there, watching tears hit the worn material.

"You did the right thing," Smoker repeated firmly. "He's safe, and that's all that matters. Judge has no foot in family court – not with Akainu at the helm. You know how much of a bitch he is."

Law heard the horror stories – while the name struck fear in those that found themselves in front of the judge, there were others that were eternally grateful for someone so unforgiving. That hole in his heart felt a little less raw – Sanji would be safe. Judge couldn't reach him in this way.

"Figuring on his personality, he's probably throwing a fit right now," Smoker mused, giving him some space to mourn privately. "Angry at you, at us, at everyone – probably coming up with all these scenarios on shoulda, woulda, couldas; I can hear that kid tossing words around with no weight. Being a teenager's hard with all these emotions and lack of understanding a bigger picture. But I wouldn't doubt, in a few days, he'll call you back with some better words. The way you two were carrying on, like everything was the end of the world, this would need some closure."

"Just because you're too old to even remember what the feeling was like," Law muttered, wiping his eyes. The smoke was irritating them, but the pressure was gone. It felt good to release it in company he could trust.

Smoker gave him a withering look, but he said nothing in retaliation.

"These things happen, and it's either drawn out to a crippled and painful ending, or it can be set on the shelf to grow and turn into something better," Smoker said. "Like wine. It gets better with age."

Smoker's words weren't helpful to Law. He was basically agreeing with Law's inner misery that this wonderful thing – something so honest and pure and exciting - was now dead. He didn't want to hear things getting better with age, that he'd find something or someone different. He didn't want to hear that, now. But it was something he knew was true and nothing could change it. Because even if Sanji was in a safe place, he was still gone – and time would find a way to interfere and change the things they had, and this thing wouldn't be the same because they wouldn't be the same. Much like the relationship he had with his parents.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," Smoker said gently. "I know that's not something anybody wants to hear. But things like this can't be overshadowed by any lesser thing – you had time to experience it and know it, and it was a wonderful thing. But it won't always be the _only_ thing you will get to experience as you grow – you'll find more like this one. Just hold this one in your heart and keep it safe. You know what it felt like to be treasured – you can find it again when the time is right. Maybe not with this one, but with someone else. You've hit rock bottom already – the only direction you can go now is up. He helped you get this far, don't let what he did for you fall to waste."

After a few moments, Smoker added, "Though I'm guessing he'll forgive you no matter what, so instead of giving any excuse to allow a screw up with this in mind, make him forgive you for the _right_ screw up."

Law put that away - because after the things he did to Sanji, Sanji forgave him. It would be harder to move on without the younger boy there to tell Law those wonderful things that he had along the way, but if Law could still hear his voice in his thoughts, then it would be fine. He had those memories to cherish and run off of for any future decision he'd make. Maybe to fully earn his forgiveness, he should stick to the plan – work his way forward because that was the only way to go. Smoker was right – he'd been scraping at rock bottom for years, and now that he was moving up, he should continue this.

Things weren't always forever, he knew this. Time would change him, would change Sanji – even if Sanji forgave him over the phone, they were still teenagers. They'd grow, experience, and live, and eventually forget about what they had because there were bigger things to find.

He wiped his eyes again, using his shirt to do so.

"Stay in school, kid, keep doing what you're doing. Don't let those turds draw you back down, this kid didn't get shuffled away just to let you fall to that. He did this for you," Smoker said, leaving the porch after picking up his filters.

Law knew he was right. Sanji didn't start changing and fighting with his family until Law came along, so if he let those Vinsmoke boys draw him back down into a corner that he'd just left, then he had to do right with it. He finished the last of his cigarette – it would be his last one.

Monday he headed to class with rising expectation in his chest. The atmosphere felt so heavy, the halls new again. He was listening for a voice that wasn't there, and it hurt to do so. Instead of going to class he headed towards Sanji's locker. He opened it, looking into items Sanji wouldn't touch again – all his textbooks, notebooks, extra supplies of pens and other odds and ends. His heart hurt just looking at it and knowing that they'd be discarded and forgotten. He found the notebook that Sanji used to write notes to him – their conversations of past encounters were in there. He grabbed that, flipped through it. He found notes from himself, notes they'd wrote on and passed to each other to reuse – it was a physical reminder of their past encounters and obstacles, and he remembered every moment that happened when he came upon one of Sanji's essays or To-Do lists. He took that and shut the door, holding the notebook like a piece of treasure. He looked up because he heard someone grunt, and took full brunt of Ichiji's attack. Ichiji's knuckles cracked over Law's cheekbone, pain exploding immediately as his head slammed back against the locker.

Both of them fell against the locker as Ichiji curled his fingers into his sweater, twisted his body and threw Law over his shoulder like a ragdoll. Law hit the floor with his breath leaving his chest because Ichiji followed him down and landed side position on his chest, forcing him to catch his weight. Law reached up to push Ichiji's face upward, his longer arms forcing the tactic as Ichiji made to swing a leg over his stomach. Law twisted to his side to prevent that, old fears returning with force with having a male atop of him. His strength was frightened instinct – Ichiji's was calculated tactic.

"This is _your_ fault!" Law heard Ichiji hiss, the older Vinsmoke's eyes burning with hatred. "He wouldn't never strayed if it wasn't for you!"

The world spun as Law forced the distance, driving a knee up against the teen, connecting with the back of his head but Ichiji dipped low, arm curling behind Law's neck while the other reached for Law's opposite sweater lapel. Law realized how tight the fabric was around his neck – Ichiji was using his clothes to choke him, and he jerked backward in an attempt to get out of it while still on his side. In the back of his mind, Law was astounded at Ichiji's bold intentions – but the story of the rabbit came back to him at that moment, an unwanted picture of the teen with a shovel suddenly flashing over his eyes.

There was a day when Law was that rabbit – but he wasn't that, now. He bent his fingers and gouged into Ichiji's eyes, knocking his glasses aside to do so. He applied pressure and scratched, forcing Ichiji to jerk his head back, blood drawn by Law's fingernails. Law withdrew his hand and slammed a fist right into that bloodied mess, forcing Ichiji to jerk away. As they made to separate, Law grabbed Ichiji by his hair and pulled him down while he scrambled up to his feet. Ichiji reached out and grabbed his ankle to prevent him to moving away and as he did so, his legs ensnared around Law's left leg. Ichiji grabbed his right ankle and yanked while pushing down with his weight on Law's leg – because of the intense pressure to his knee Law went down hard, feeling Ichiji grab his opposite heel.

Law didn't know Ichiji's sport, so he didn't know what the teen intended on doing, couldn't identify the move – he just knew his knee was under intense pressure and it felt like it was going to snap backward as Ichiji twisted his heel hard with the crook of his elbow.

"Get off him!" Luffy shouted, jumping onto Ichiji, raining down punches. But Ichiji held on by some demonic strength, and Law grimaced because his ankle felt like it was going to snap at any moment – kicking him wasn't giving him any sort of give. Just before it felt like it was going to, Sabo landed atop of Ichiji and wrenched his hands from Law's ankle, slamming an elbow down onto his face. Law scrambled away stiffly, his leg and ankle making a getaway difficult, but Ace quickly yanked him to the side as Koala screamed for a teacher.

Niji slammed full force into Sabo, knocking him off Ichiji while Ichiji fended off Luffy's punches. Yonji jumped in to yank Luffy away from Ichiji, but Ace abandoned Law and slammed into Yonji, taking his actions as a threat. Sabo and Niji were punching and kicking at each other from the ground, kids forming a tight circle around them while yelling and hollering with a mix of support and excited cheer, teachers and the security guards scrambling to get through. Yonji easily tossed Luffy to the side, the lockers catching him, but Ace had him around the knees and was already driving him into the floor to bring him down. Once Yonji fell, the crowd erupted into roars.

Panting, Law searched for the notebook he'd taken from Sanji's locker. He found it, pulled it close as the guards finally interfered.

"You piece of trash!" Ichiji shouted at Law, bleeding from the scratches on his face. It dripped to his uniform garishly, his glasses nowhere to be seen. His expression was manic, looking strangely out of order. "You took him away from us! You filthy fucking prostitute! Faggot! You think this is over? You broke up our family!"

"Shut up, you psychopath!" Luffy hollered back at him, Garp making his way over with a startled expression. " _You're_ a fucking psychopath! It's not his fault! You control freak!"

"Ichi, _come on_ ," Niji begged in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, looking at his brother with a troubled frown. "Not like this!"

"It's _your_ fault! And for what? You're fucking nothing but used trash _, you pathetic homo_!" Ichiji continued to shout at him. "You ruined _everything_!"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Garp bellowed over their rising shouts, kids dispersing reluctantly. "Vinsmokes, office! NOW! You boys, wait outside that fucking office!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Crocodile asked, not budging from his door. "Garp! This your doing?"

"You obviously just watched me walk over here," Garp told him.

"That guy attacked Trafalgar without provocation!" Camie shouted immediately. "He just attacked him without saying anything! I saw it, I was just standing here and saw it!"

"We saw those guys fighting first! It was Ichiji!"

"Ichiji did it first!"

"Ichiji was the one going mental!"

Upon the agreement of the kids around them, Garp reluctantly grasped both Luffy's and Sabo's arms, Ace following along behind him with a pout as the security guards ushered the Vinsmokes ahead. Law wasn't sure to follow, but because he was the focal point of the attack, he limped after them with notebook in hand.

Once the brothers were closed up within the principal's office, the counselor rushing in with a pale expression to shouts and flustered curses, Garp turned and looked at the four remaining behind. The brothers wore pouty expressions while Law willed his thundering heart back to normal volume. He hadn't expected the attack from the older brother – he had expected something more calculated and controlled. Some harassment, some threats – nothing physical to put Ichiji himself into risk with the authorities or with his own father. Seeing him lose control like that was like seeing a total stranger.

"You okay?" Sabo turned and asked him with concern. "Looks like he wanted to end your life!"

"Diabolical, using clothes like that," Ace added, eyes locked on Law's neck. He supposed he had some marks there – it now registered how tight his throat felt, but his adrenaline was still running. Nothing felt sore just yet.

"Where's Sanji, Law?" Luffy asked. "Sanji would've stopped it right there."

"Not that any of this excuses your actions!" Garp snarled at all of them, reaching out to whack the boys but catching himself quickly as they all cringed, expecting the attack.

It would come out eventually, Law supposed. Sanji was no longer here to explain himself, to give him support. Feeling the emptiness of the younger teen's absence was painful once more.

"He moved to his mother's," he mumbled in response, finding it awkward to talk to anyone that wasn't anyone he already trusted. He was starting over again, he supposed. His tongue felt heavy against his teeth, anxiety over trusting anyone with his impediment running through him and making him feel dizzy. "And they didn't like it."

The three turned to face him with mixed expressions of disbelief, Garp looking puzzled.

" _Why_?" Luffy cried, looking absolutely devastated. "Didn't he have a job? _He has to work_! He _has_ to be there! Only he understood our appetites!"

"That's good, isn't it?" Sabo asked with concern.

"It's probably for the best, anyway," Ace said with a nod.

Law shrugged, holding the notebook tightly. It felt different speaking without Sanji present. His lack of confidence with these people and his impediment felt heavy all over again – not that the trio would mock him or make fun of him, he knew they wouldn't, but he lacked that security he'd felt with Sanji at his side to make it better. There were things he had to learn to do all over again without Sanji being there, and it felt like such an intense chore. He didn't want to do it, but he would have to. Because Sanji had done this for him, and he couldn't waste it.

He licked his lips anxiously, taking a breath before saying, "Because of them. So…they're angry at me. I don't care, but…that's what that was about."

"Why?" Garp asked.

"Smoker."

"Ah," Garp said with understanding, not needing anything else said. "Good guy to have on your side! Whatever's going on in there, if they want to make a scene of it, there's plenty of witnesses and the security cameras to make up for whatever shit they tried to sell. I don't think anything will happen now, so go to class and stop causing trouble!"

He stormed off into the office as the four looked on with discomfort. Sabo looked at Law, noting how tightly he held onto the notebook. He said, "I'm sure it was the best decision for him. Considering the things stacking up with their behavior over Sanji and yourself."

The subject was still so sensitive to Law. It would take awhile to learn to trust these guys with much of himself. He shrugged and limped towards class to avoid talking anymore on it, and the three watched him go. Luffy's face stretched with intense sorrow, lower lip trembling. He looked to Ace. "I'm going to miss him. Now who's going to pick on me on my way to gym? Who's going to give me something when he's busy causing trouble or smoking like a chimney?"

"I'm going to miss accidently hearing them talk sweet nothings to each other," Ace said with a sigh. "Now who's going to make me believe in love?"

Sabo rolled his eyes at both of them as they hugged each other, supporting the other as they walked to class. "On a serious note you guys, with the way that guy lost control over his brother's absence, there's still potential in something else happening while they're here. Ichiji wasn't kidding when he attacked Law – I think that's the very first time I saw someone try to deliberately kill someone."

"Let's not be overdramatic," Ace told him.

"It was unusual to see that one lose it like that," Sabo continued. "It's the quiet ones that should be watched carefully, isn't it? We knew he was a verbal threat only, but he really went for the jugular. His brothers were so shocked that they didn't do anything, at first. They weren't their usual monkey chatter when he attacked him."

"They weren't," Ace said uncomfortably, thinking about seeing Niji's and Yonji's stunned expression as they watched Ichiji attack Law. "They hesitated a bit. Only jumped in when we did. It was kinda weird."

Luffy sighed heavily once more as he trudged onto his class, the other two taking the stairway up to the second floor.

"It seemed like it happened suddenly, because Sanji was his usual self Friday," Sabo said thoughtfully. "So whatever happened did so over the weekend upon emergency. With him being oddly absent Thursday morning, Law worried over it, something happened drastically. If he was forced to his mother's, then I wonder if he was okay in the first place. He had a new cast."

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore if he's gone," Ace told him, rapping him atop of the head before veering off towards his class. "He's out of the picture, so he's safe."

Sabo nodded with reluctance, and headed towards his class as well. While understanding that Garp seemed comfortable with the name Law dropped as an explanation, his own curiosity burned from within him. The other teen seemed lost by himself - Sabo took it that whatever had happened with Sanji was a difficult one, but one Law seemed to accept with some confidence. He didn't seem as troubled as he did that Thursday morning when Sanji didn't show up with his brothers – just resolutely accepting. Whatever it was the pair of them had in common with each other had ended with Sanji's absence and Sabo felt sorry for the teen remaining behind.

: :

A month passed. The Vinsmokes were no longer attending Grandline High, which the school breathed with a huge sigh of relief. The atmosphere was lighter, now, and the hallways were seemingly filled with a more joyful attitude because of it. While rumors swept through the students with presumptions and stories, they were only rumors; after all, no one was that close to the brothers in the first place.

It felt quiet in first period, and while everyone chatted amicably amongst each other without fear of having any Vinsmoke attack them, Law was very aware of the empty seat behind him. He still hadn't heard from Sanji and his hope for his forgiveness was dying every day. Not big on positivity, Law was slowly convincing himself that Sanji would never contact him. With the way his family seemed to 'fall apart', maybe there were issues Sanji was dealing with that Law couldn't understand for himself.

Still, he couldn't help but worry that he'd one day see Sanji out and about with his brothers because sometimes even the system failed when it should have been counted upon; maybe he'd convinced others that things were overdramatized, maybe he'd lie about the pictures and heap on excuses as to why 'boys were being boys'. In a way he hoped to see him just to see him again; in another, he hoped Sanji stayed away, heartache be damned.

His relationship with his parents slowly continued to repair the rift through weekly family counseling sessions; his parents had stayed true to their words, and had him enrolled in speech therapy over the weekend, individual counseling due to past trauma every Wednesday. It was hard to settle into the routine because counseling seemed so invasive; the therapist was kind and gentle, and even if he slowly started opening up, he did so because she had the soothing presence of Sanji's own invasive ways of getting him to talk.

When they moved to their new house, Lorenzo kept their old number in the event that Sanji might call – while Law didn't talk much about how he felt, he had the sense that his parents understood his silence on the subject. He'd finally unpacked his bag, and used the gift cards to purchase more clothes. He was starting to fill out, now, had some of the confidence needed to groom and take care of himself; but admittedly, it was all in hopes of seeing Sanji again. He was slowly starting to emerge out of his protective shell but only cautiously; Smoker's words hung at the back of his thoughts and if this was the only way to pay Sanji back, then Law would do it.

It wasn't a miraculous turn around that happened overnight; he still locked his door, he still had some tension against Lorenzo, and Lainy still expressed frustration with Law's lack of bonding with them; but it was slowly coming along. Smoker popped in from time to time to check on Law's progress and give him encouragement, but he had nothing to say on Sanji because from what he knew of the case, it was still as it was. Judge Vinsmoke had been denied any contact to the boy and his mother, and it was left at that. Ichiji's violation of the temporary protection order had done some damage, and it was assumed that because of it the boys were transferred to another school.

Law thought he'd have a hard time adjusting to the boy's absence for a longer time but those D boys were just as invasive. Ace would sit outside with him during his smoke breaks and chat about random things while Luffy appeared with his friends during change of classes with some inane adventure or mission that often left Law flustered afterward, unwillingly participating in some social justice warrior event similar to the pad incident. Sabo would approach with questions on his homework and launch into something that involved thoughtful discussion, and Law slowly opened up to them because he felt he had no choice with their continued involvement. He kept telling himself Sanji would have wanted this for him.

One Sunday, as he was watching one of Lainy's guilty pleasures involving a famous family with too much money, the phone rang. She answered it while Law grumpily patted Panda's head and scratched his ears, Polar sitting near him with her tail lashing against the back of his head every so often. The animals had accepted him as part of the household, but it hadn't been that easy of a task to get Polar this close to him. She still scratched out at him whenever he passed by her and she growled whenever he spoke to her, but he still found her hanging out in his room or waiting for him when he came home from school.

Lainy called his name and he stood up from the couch, feeling Polar's claws catch on his shirt as he did so. After gently pulling away, he took the phone from her. Their new house was smaller than the last, and the phone was located in the living room closest to the den. While it was smaller, the pair had made it cozy, and while Law wasn't in any awe of it, it was a house that kept him warm during the cold nights and gave him a quiet place to think when school and therapy was too overwhelming. He answered because he thought Sabo was needing his help on a science mid-term study sheet and he still hadn't given his cellphone number out because the D boys loved sending memes to each other that were bothersome.

He gave a suffering greeting because Sabo had been stressing over his study sheet for a couple of days now, and it really wasn't something he could help with, considering he didn't even have the same class. Sabo just seemed to think Law knew more than he was letting on, and while the confidence was staggering, it wasn't something Law was confident in participating in, considering how much Sabo forced him to talk.

Once he heard the shaky exhale, Law's heart jumped. Because Lainy returned to watching her show, because he wasn't sure how the conversation would go, he said quickly, "Call me on this number."

After giving it, Sanji confirmed it and hung up. Law hurried off to his room as Lainy looked after him with a frown, wanting just a few seconds more to overhear what would sound like an interesting conversation. Once in his room, Law willed his heart to stop racing so hard, holding onto his cellphone with an anxious expression. The call came up under a number he didn't recognize, so he made the assumption that Sanji had a new cellphone.

"You finally have one of your own?" Sanji asked, and hearing his voice just made Law's very soul lift again. He wiped a sweaty palm on his pants, Polar meowing crankily from behind his closed door. Her paw appeared moments later, scraping just under the space between door and carpet.

"Yes," Law answered hollowly, despite the feelings he felt just hearing him.

"Um…I'm sorry it took me awhile to call," he heard Sanji mumble uncomfortably. Law could see him with a stubborn expression to his face, reluctantly admitting he was wrong. He could clearly see his head bent but his shoulders stiff, and he wished so much to see it in person that it hurt. "I was still really fucking mad, y'know? But things calmed down and I calmed down, so that's the end of it from me. What are you doing right now?"

Relief filled Law, like a whoosh of hot air.

"Watching tv," he answered stiffly – because working his mouth was hard when all he wanted to do was smile, and that would make the formation of words more difficult, and he wanted to concentrate on his speech development to show his trusted person that he had been working on it. "Some stupid show."

"Hey, that's what I was doing! Since I've been living here, I've now learned too much of women in all the wrong ways," Sanji told him with a heavy sigh. "I told Reiju I'm glad I'm gay because I can't handle that shit. I'm so embarrassed about the pad thing – she thought it was funny and leaves hers in random places in my room and jackets and sometimes when I take my wallet out – it's fucking _cold_ out here! I've had to stock up on jackets and sweaters and how can that be when we're not that far away from there? It's a higher climate and the air tastes different – it's like fresh and cold and it makes me feel like I've never breathed oxygen _ever_. I've been so polluted by that city that it's coming out in my pores – hey, how's school? Are my brothers still there?"

Law had to catch his breath because Sanji spit out all his observations without taking a breath of his own. He wanted to see him so badly, but he was also afraid to at the same time. Mostly because every expression he felt would show on his face and he felt that Sanji's manic way of speaking was his own expression of his anxiety.

"No," he answered. "They were gone the first week after you. They violated the TPO."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Sanji sighed again. "Ichiji's so fucking psycho, so don't lie. I bet he tried to shank you or something, and spewed something gross about breaking up the family. Don't sugarcoat it, I lived with the guy for all our lives so I know how he is."

"I'm fine. How is it with your mom?"

"It's like living with _myself_! She's much different in person than she was over the phone! I don't know who freaks out more, her or me and Reiju is sick of our shit already! She can't go with us to emotional movies or anything like that, but…it's been good. And everything my dad said about her was a fucking lie! She isn't poor – she's fucking set. She works as a director out here for a domestic violence program, and dad has to pay her alimony anyway, he's such a fucking liar! She's strong and dedicated and dad had threatened that if _she_ didn't move away, he would move us across the pond to Europe because of the custody order. I can't believe I lived under that roof of lies believing all this! Whatever, it's over with, things are over with – hey, I got my cast off, my arm is all withered and gross."

"I'm glad to hear that," Law said, still sorting out the information to process it individually.

"You sound different. Are you crying?"

" _No_."

"Whatever, _I_ am," Sanji said, sniffling. "I miss you. I'm sorry I was so mad at you, it wasn't your fault. It took me a long time to understand that but you did the right thing because I don't know how dad was going to react that night. Yeah, things changed, but it was going to, anyway. It just happened sooner. It was a shock, I don't know how you did it because it was hard as fuck. Like, that night I tried to be like you and think for myself but I couldn't do it, and I ran away from Zeff because dad called him and was talking shit to him and – "

"Sanji, I miss you too," Law told him, blinking rapidly. "So much. It was hard adjusting to the fact that you weren't there anymore."

Sanji sniffled again, and Law could see him wiping his nose on his shirt. "I don't have allergies anymore, that's what made my nose run so much. This is actually me being a baby. I can't help it! It just happened once I heard your voice and you weren't mad at me for being mad at you."

Before Law could say anything, Sanji said, "And you're talking differently. Are you going to speech class?"

"Yes."

"Are you making friends at school?"

"…Yes."

"I can tell if you're lying to me so you better not be lying to me! I'll Friend those guys on Facebook and ask them, and if they say anything negative to what you're saying to me, I'll make a special trip up there to kick your ass! I don't want you lying to me like you did to Rosinante. Tell me the fucking truth."

"It's true," Law said with amusement. "There's no reason for me to lie."

Sanji sniffled again and blew his nose noisily. Law had to wipe his eyes, hearing Polar cry at the door, both paws digging underneath the door. The jingle of Panda's tags were heard as the dog joined the cat, giving a heavy sigh.

"We can still talk on the phone, you know," Sanji then said, his voice thick. "But it probably won't be the same."

It hurt to acknowledge that, but it was true. Neither of them could sugarcoat that fact.

"I mean, I wish I could be there, I'd do anything to do so, but…dad was getting weird. And Ichiji was fucking psycho, talking all that stuff, and…and things could've been worse, I guess. I just…I want to be there to see you grow, y'know?"

Law wished he was there, too. How easy life would be if he could just turn to Sanji after having a hard time at the therapist's office, or see him at school being free from his brothers' harassment; but things were difficult, now. They were in separate places for similar reasons and it felt to Law sometimes like Sanji was being punished. Hearing his voice now, Sanji sounded somewhat happy. He still seemed the same. But Law knew what it felt like to go to a new school to start all over, and he knew how Sanji was – was he still trying to please those around him? The younger boy had been removed from his home because he wasn't pleasing his father, so maybe Sanji carried that with him, still. Doing what it took to have others' approval of him.

They talked well into the evening, catching up with each other's lives. Gleaming each and every bit because the other wasn't there. By the time they reluctantly hung up for their respective families' dinner, it was obvious that this thing they had was forcibly ended. No matter how much they talked on the phone, they were still hours apart and growing in areas neither could be involved with. Smoker had been right, and what they had could be treasured and nourished in other ways. Without the other, they wouldn't have grown as they had individually. Despite the outcome, they were in better places.

Law could yearn and wish all he wanted, but it wasn't in his power to have Sanji close. Same with the younger teen – maybe one day as adults things could change, but _they_ wouldn't be the same. Their lives would take them into separate places and change them into different individuals.

Half a year later, as life tended to do, things changed abruptly. Law learned that Rosinante had passed away nearly two months after he'd left Doflamingo; the loss of his brother had been hard for the prison guard, and he'd left the area under an air of scandal. Was Rosinante's death deliberately caused by neglect or was it natural? An investigation had been underway, but the man disappeared before anything could be learned. His status as a suspect followed after him long after he left town, and helpless rage built in Law, piling over the guilt and pain over not checking in with the man as he'd wanted to.

Depression fell over him after he'd learned of these things, found out only on accident when he'd overseen someone's newspaper. He was working part time at a caretaking facility, and seeing Rosinante's death drawn out as some daytime drama had been shocking for him. His phone calls to Sanji had been less and less as Sanji lived a new life without him, pulling in new friends and someone that sounded like a romantic interest. So these things piled up despite Lorenzo and Lainy's gentle interference, and counseling didn't seem to help. Prescribed anti-depressants took some time to adjust to, but he couldn't seem to keep his concentration.

His part time job was appreciated, and he was going to earn his GED – his grades were a hinder to keep him from walking across the stage with the rest of his class, so he would essentially finish school over the summer with the accumulation of credits that barely allowed him to pass. Lorenzo and Lainy were pushing him gently in the direction of med school, but Law didn't have the confidence for college with the way his high school years were ending.

He met a boy he knew from juvie, and his convincing affection was enough to pull Law away from his own heartache over Sanji's detachment, and he fell into an awkward relationship with that boy. It wasn't helpful nor was it that harmful, but he was a welcome distraction. Eustess Kid wasn't the greatest of influence but Law found him amusing and interesting, a far cry difference from Sanji, but it was enough because both of them knew what life was like being products of a broken home and watching the hours pass by from behind bars.

Eventually, Law left Lorenzo and Lainy behind – he had enough money to pay for a road trip out of state with this boy, whom his parents didn't really like but tolerated. He never came back, troubled by the collapse of his security and position in life. At the time it was okay because Sanji rarely called, and he couldn't, anyway, because his romantic interest was the jealous type and Law figured it was fine if this was how it ended. Eustess was the same, and while the idiot did his best to make Law happy, neither of them were standing on any sturdy ground. Eustess was a high school dropout working in various mechanical shops, already a heavy alcoholic with no regards to anyone else's security and concerns, but he treated Law preciously and Law needed that in someone who he felt was 'like him'.

Their adventures took them away from the city, and years passed in this fashion. Law's memories of Sanji faded into the back but there were some nights when he couldn't sleep when he would remember the teenager as he last saw him. He did wonder how Sanji was doing, but he refused to investigate for himself; it was a cowardly way of avoiding contact with him because he felt he fucked up what Sanji had did for him, and Smoker's reassurance that day on the porch was long gone. Sanji was better off without him, anyway, considering how Law had left town, and it was important to Law that Sanji remain 'pure' without his involvement.

Life had allowed him just a small moment where this wonderful thing he'd experienced was a gift after all the rotten things had happened. Like Smoker had said, he just had to treasure it. It was a reminder that there were good things capable of being caught for a moment as he lived life, and while his wasn't the same after that, he wasn't that scared, frozen person anymore. He'd grown into a cutting man with harsh words and a lazy confidence that was made stronger with whatever Eustess convinced him to experiment with. He occasionally checked in with his parents but would never reveal his location; he felt bad for having left them as he had, but what was done was done.

The person he was now wasn't the same as the one that was reunited with them, and he wanted to spare them that extra pain that must feel like failure. It wasn't their fault – they did their best with him, he acknowledged; it was just that he had been a fragile person back then, and losing Rosinante was the catalyst. Feelings he couldn't control, the weight of guilt – none of it could be soothed by any normal understanding. This was something he had to experience, to grow on his own. It took him away from everything that had felt safe but maybe that wasn't what he'd needed, then. Maybe it just had been time to learn who he truly was on his own.

Life was like that, sometimes.

* * *

 **A/N** : Epilogue will be posted probably by tomorrow. _**Thank you**_ to all who reviewed my last chapter! I will respond in the next – my word count almost this chapter impossible to load this time.


	37. Chapter 37

**Epilogue**

* * *

When Sanji hung up his phone with Ichiji droning on about his To-Do list once he returned home, he felt exhausted. The plane ride had been overcrowded and his phone remained silent from his wife's acknowledging of the texts he'd sent her before leaving. Coming to the city was a stressful event for him and she knew this, but Pudding always had her own agenda. She was in another state for a supposed consultation of a friend's wedding desserts, but Sanji knew she was having an affair with a man she'd met at an earlier chocolate convention. It didn't hurt so much anymore; this marriage was only of convenience for both their families and it had been his choice to participate. No one held a gun to his head.

It had been a few years since he'd re-entered his father and brothers' lives; it was upon his own willingness to do so after years spent apart living in different households. Strangely, he'd missed his brothers – he wasn't clear why, considering the constant tension and fighting, but being without their presence had been bizarrely uncomfortable. It was easy at first – all of them were amicable and coldly friendly until old ways reappeared and if he wasn't arguing and fighting with one of them, another was on his side in a strange twist of comradery. Either from what they'd been through or if this was just another one of their hurtful games, Sanji had resettled himself amongst them and Judge had been more careful and a little less controlling.

Until Charlotte Linlin and her daughter came along. Because Linlin had some sort of pull over Judge, she convinced the man that joining their families would be a great idea; since Ichiji was a successful up and coming attorney, Niji a swimming champ preparing for the upcoming Olympics and Yonji busy with what remained of his college, Judge decided that Sanji should be the one to marry the cute girl whose similar love for cooking and food seemed comparable to Sanji's. He wasn't ready to settle down; he'd just finished culinary school and wanted to help Zeff manage his restaurant but since things seemed to be on the mend between Sanji and his family and he'd fallen back into his old ways of trying to please everyone, it seemed like something manageable. He could learn to fall in love with the girl as time went by and because he felt like a failure at his own gay relationships (none of them were like Law, a strange concept considering Law was his first love), he thought that perhaps he'd 'straighten' out.

It didn't happen, of course. Pudding was a sweet girl on the outside but on the inside she was manipulative, controlling and had her own resentment to bear of a marriage she didn't agree to, either. They were more roommates than anything, but in front of all those around them, they were a busy couple with admirable aspirations. Sola despised the girl, and Reiju flirted with the concept of exposing Pudding, but Sanji begged them to stay in line just to keep the peace. His brothers were oddly quiet around her; either upon their father's warning or general unease around Linlin, none of them were open to being their normal, charming selves around Pudding. As soon as she would leave the room, they would quietly make faces and gestures that Pudding narrowly missed catching when she happened to hear something different behind her back.

It wasn't a perfect life, but life was like that.

He still thought about Law from time to time – last he heard, Law skipped town with some _loser_ he knew, and it always filled Sanji with regret that he wasn't so supportive. Not that he could be any more supportive back then, considering his position, but he always thought he could've done more. Sometimes, when Pudding was gone and he had an uncomfortably large house to himself, he called Lainy and Lorenzo to see how they were doing. They were friendly and open to visits, but it was clear that they were hurt with Law leaving them; he checked in with them from time to time, Sanji heard, but it wasn't enough. They still had their hopes that one day he'd return with "all the adventure out of his system". Sanji detected that they also hoped Law would ditch the man he was with as well.

The hotel was nice – centered downtown, he used it regularly when coming to town because he didn't want to share his brothers' private living spaces, and he needed the break from Ichiji's overbearing presence to keep him in line. It seemed he was stricter with his brothers since high school. It felt like his older brother was clingier because deep inside, Ichiji was insecure and uncomfortable with any change. Which was really surprising because of the way Ichiji conducted himself. After checking in and before making his way to his room, Sanji headed to the lounge bar because alcohol seemed appropriate. Every time he came back here, his anxiety strummed along his veins and left him exhausted once he was away from his brothers and father. He stood at the bar, ordered his drink and looked at his phone again.

Still no response from Pudding. Not that he expected one, he would be surprised if she sent him anything, but all his messages were unread. Being ignored and feeling unloved was a double-edged sword for him – he gave everything to her when she needed it because that was just the way he was, but he _chose_ to do this, knowing it was only his family's wishes and not his own. So he couldn't complain.

The bartender handed him his drink so Sanji quickly paid him and took the glass, heading for his room. He was reading a text from Ichiji when he heard his name called from his left. Not expecting anyone he knew to catch him while he was in town, he looked up with surprise to see the tall, dark haired man unfolding himself from a corner table chair to approach him. At first, Sanji didn't know who it was because he didn't know anybody that wore a black furred coat like some medieval warrior, ripped black jeans that detailed some absurdly long legs, and what looked like a turtleneck sweater outfitting a ridiculously amazing upper body - his gay hormones perked with interest so he fumbled with his drink and his phone trying to get himself _straight_ again.

Then Sanji realized who it was because while he was a little older, he would recognize Law's eyes anywhere. He was almost similar to the teenager Sanji had to leave behind, but _definitely not_ at the same time. He was ridiculously attractive in a rugged sense that belonged to some tortured free spirit that didn't fit into any society that Sanji himself fit. He belonged to rough biker bars and beer conventions and that dark part of town Sanji never had to drive into but always heard of through the stupid memes Luffy sometimes sent him when the younger man was feeling humorous on Facebook.

It took him a few moments to form thought to word because Sanji was struck dumb – both with the unexpected appearance and with Law's physical appearance. Every part of him was ultra aware of him – his hormones took the hardest hit.

"It _is_ you," Law said, his voice deeper and smoother and Sanji sputtered something dumbly because words continued to fall away like toppled blocks. He meant to shake his hand in greeting, but Law enveloped him into a hug that nearly caused Sanji to drop his drink, phone and bag all at the same time. He was enveloped in the smell of fur that clung to the scent of cigarettes, cologne, something musky. His face flamed brilliantly red because his body hated him at that moment and he quickly pulled away with a nervous laugh to adjust his coat painfully over his front.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he sputtered breathlessly, setting aside his drink and phone on a nearby table, swung his carryon bag to his hip. The olive tweed of his jacket, a fitted peacoat with a hood that Niji complained was 'too gay!', matched well with the black of his trousers, pressed plain shirt and black tie. Dressed as he was, he felt like a dork still in his high school uniform compared to Law's more mature appearance. "Where in the depths of hell did you emerge from?"

"The back part," Law told him, examining him in such a way that Sanji was mortified for his own reaction, struggling to get ahold of himself. The lounge area wasn't crowded – it was only the pair of them, along with some travelers that were talking business with laptops and cellphones, drinks in front of them, but it felt like all of that had faded away. The smirk that crossed over the man's face made Sanji want to sink into the floor.

He frowned petulantly at him, using suddenly sweaty hands to rearrange his hair back into order because that furred coat of Law's made it staticky. "Well, maybe you should go back there, you look the part," he mumbled awkwardly. "When the hell did you grow up looking like a bad Jpop reject?"

"I have it written in my diary somewhere," Law said airily, sarcasm heavy in that tone. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Same," Sanji returned, unable to look away from him just yet. "What are you doing here?"

"Hiding," Law answered, looking at him with the same intensity. It made Sanji feel breathless; it made him feel as if he were being visually devoured and taken apart at the same time. He couldn't recall feeling that way with anyone. Every part of him felt sweaty. "You?"

Sanji could not remember why he was in town, even though he'd stressed about it from the moment he'd purchased the plane ticket. He changed the subject. "I'm married," he sputtered dumbly, showing off the simple ring.

"Oh, that sucks for you," Law murmured, not even looking at Sanji's hand. He was too busy reading Sanji's expression - and seemingly his thoughts.

Sanji took a sip of his drink. He had to settle this racing feeling of his; he couldn't concentrate with the way Law looked at him, and Sanji felt crowded with nowhere to escape. This man was so unlike the teenager he'd last known – he'd grown seemingly predatory and, frankly, Sanji had to get himself back in order if he wanted to claim his own space and stand against something he was already used to. He straightened up, shoulders tight.

"It's a fine marriage," he said as he crossed his arms firmly over his chest, his tie catching on his Apple watch. He adjusted it hurriedly. "She and I work will together – "

Before he could correct himself, Law asked with mirth, "' _She'_? Aw, it happened, didn't it? You were sent to a gay camp. This is your divine punishment for straying off course from the family agenda."

" _Shut_ up," Sanji told him wearily. "I heard you ran off with some guy."

"The very same one I'm hiding from, now. He wouldn't think of looking in this area for me," Law said, allowing him some space with just a slight step back. Sanji looked at him with a stumped expression, waiting for an explanation. Flippantly, Law said, "I ran off with his savings towards some stupid motorcycle when I was _explicit_ in that I wanted an actual _car_ , not something that can decapitate us both if he wanted to drive 95 to Vegas with no regards to the traffic laws. I was tired of that childish shit."

"Oh, so…you're still together?" Sanji asked, glancing at his left hand. Law even had his fingernails painted black, and they were chipped. There were tattoos there as well. He couldn't help but wonder what else was on him, considering how much of him stood before him – he struggled to keep his eyes up on Law's face.

"On, off, depends on my mood," Law said. He continued looking at Sanji with that same intense expression – if he were like this when they were teenagers, Sanji was absolutely certain he'd lose all thought and reason with the real world, and probably ran off with him, too. But it was different, now. _They_ were so much different. Time had changed everything. "Right now it's off."

"Not me," Sanji said, blinking rapidly. Damn, he had to remember to blink. "I'm in town on business – I fly out tomorrow morning. She's in – "

"I don't want to hear about her, I don't care," Law interrupted him. Sanji jumped at the feel of Law's fingers on his jaw, tracing the length of it as he wore a thoughtful expression. "Look at you, all grown up. Not the runny nosed, bug-eyed stick with mangled hair – "

"Touch me again, and I'll kick one of your leg day lacking legs right out from under you," Sanji snapped at him, flustered by how much his skin tingled just from the touch. He slapped his hand away, red-faced. "I didn't expect to run into you and get all manhandled. I'm _straight_."

Law laughed loudly, and it caught the attention of the others in the lounge. It made Sanji scowl because of the way his stomach twisted with heat and embarrassment. It was a definite lie that left his mouth but he couldn't help but attempt to convince himself out loud to remember where he was standing.

He huffed, fiddling with his jacket. " _Anyway_ , why haven't you been talking to your parents? I'm sure they're deeply concerned about your whereabouts. Did you at least go and visit them since you've come back?"

Law studied him for a few moments, smile leaving his face. "You talk to my parents?"

"Yes," Sanji admitted reluctantly. He swallowed. "So what?"

"That's so cute," Law said, eyebrows drawing together. "How long has that been happening?"

"For awhile. Why? Was I just supposed to forget you? You bitch, my life changed because of you, _yours_ did, too! Why the hell shouldn't I have that contact with your parents?"

Law was wordless. But he hadn't spoken to his parents for some months, now, and they wouldn't admit to something like that. Not with the limited time he spent on the phone with them. His hand dropped to his side, and he didn't know what to say. The man standing in front of Law right now was the same one he had loved in high school, but he wasn't at the same time. Sanji still wore his clothes stiffly but his eyes were intensely weary. His mouth looked like they hadn't smiled in some time, and his jaw kept flexing rigidly, carrying the same sort of rigid tension he had when he first started approaching Law in school. But he was so beautiful – grown up into an absurdly attractive man, and Law couldn't bring himself to look away. With how abruptly Sanji had left him, Law had the slight fear Sanji would disappear in the same manner right in front of him.

Sanji frowned up at him, brows furrowing as his eyes ran over Law's – it was Kid's, actually – fur coat once more. His expression was filled with so much disdain that Law's lips curled into a fond smile. "So, what've you been doing, besides killing small animals for cosmetic gain?"

"Not much," Law said. "I've been busy learning my place. Haven't found it, yet. We're not the type to settle down."

Sanji found himself distracted by the earrings he wore. They weren't Lamie's – they were a thicker material, pulling at his lobes heavily. Law's hair was shorter than it was when he'd last seen him – thicker, healthy. Despite his appearance, he was _healthy_. He seemed sound of mind, but it didn't sound like Law was ready to settle – and maybe he never would considering his current lifestyle, but Sanji couldn't imagine living life like that. Not with what he had, now.

"You should," he said vaguely, meeting his eyes once more. "Whatever you're looking for, you're obviously not finding it in the right places."

"Maybe I'm not ready to."

"Why?" Sanji demanded. "What do you get out of it, now?"

"The instability is comfortable."

"Right, so much that you're hiding out from your own – _boyfriend_ – in some fancy hotel downtown after stealing his money and avoiding your parents because you think they won't accept you after running off."

" _Ouch_ ," Law commented, looking mockingly wounded. "You were never one to mince your words."

"Why should I?"

"And you? In a city where your family lives and you can't bear their company one minute longer? Even after your phone fills with message after message from controlling siblings?"

Sanji noticed he was looking at his phone on the table, and he glanced back to see that Ichiji was still texting him. He reached out and flipped the phone over with a dirty look in Law's direction.

"You went back to them," Law stated.

Sanji had nothing to say, exhaling heavily. But he nodded without looking at him because he didn't want to see the judgment on Law's face.

"And that's why you are where you are."

Sanji forced himself to look back up at him with a resolute expression on his face. "I think it was established that I prefer to stand my ground rather than _running_ from it."

"And thus, you still can't make yourself say 'no' because you're too busy pleasing those taking post up around you." Law took Sanji's cup and drank from it while Sanji scowled. After finishing it, Law said, "Let's get some more. You're not going anywhere, right?"

Sanji glanced at his phone. There was really no need to answer Ichiji's messages. He was at the hotel, he excused himself from anymore business that he had with his family, and he'd intended on holing himself up in his room to smoke endlessly and think about how painful his life was. Running into Law was something he'd never expected. Never _dreamed_ of because of the circumstances both of them were living. But here Law was, right in front of him, taking his silence as a 'yes' and walking up to the bar to request more drinks.

Sanji had a feeling it was going to be a bad idea. All these old feelings were coming back, his suppressed gay hormones were on high alert, and he didn't know what kind of _boyfriend_ Law had that Law felt comfortable stealing money and hiding from. But he knew that staying in that empty room with these suffocating thoughts wasn't something that would stop – there was always another time to do so. How many more times would he run into his old high school boy/friend as they continued to age?

When Law returned to him with a new cup of his earlier drink and a mug of his own in hand, Sanji took it from him. He stuffed his phone into his carryon bag, thinking that catching up with Law's life wasn't going to kill either of them. Besides, he was married with a stiff sense of abiding to his vows and no matter how guilty he felt with being overwhelmed with Law's physical qualities, it wasn't like he was going to stray.

: :

He woke up with a pounding head, unforgiving nausea, lack of clothes and a complete blackout of last night. He grumbled as he pulled the blankets over his head, feeling warm and sick at the same time, the dizziness in his brain preventing any recognition of his surroundings or even why he wasn't in his usual sleep clothes. Maybe he was too hot after drunkenly returning to his room, maybe he'd thought taking a shower would help before he went to sleep, maybe –

He froze because something else registered as he pulled at the blankets. He was missing his wedding ring. He sat up with a start, regretting it moments later. Squinting hard, the tv was on, tuned to the morning news. His carryon was on the table near the bathroom, and his tie was dangling from his left wrist. He looked at it with confusion, uncertain as to why it was there and not with the rest of his clothes. Then he registered just how sore his ass was – the pain shot up his spine and tingled over the rest of him, and he nearly vomited because he knew the reason why it was there. The last boy he'd experimented with had advised a cold pack of peas for the rest of the day after trying anal sex and he _never_ wanted to do it again.

" _Fuck_ ," he muttered, horror welling up with the nausea as he realized what he must've done. He flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling before remembering his ring, so he sat up and squinted as he looked around the room. Only _his_ clothes were scattered about, his shoe on the nearby bedside table, the other missing. There was no sign of Law anywhere, and he remembered how Law was even there at all.

He searched for his wallet, struggling to _remember_. His head spun, his brain was too heavy, and he gave up the effort. He wrapped himself back up in the blankets and listened to his heart pound. What the hell gave him the right to let himself do this? How much did he drink? Was he drugged? Was Law capable of that sort of thing? He was so different from the teen Sanji lost in his own life travels that it was amazing to think that this person was that same one he'd met. All that confidence, that individual strength and ability in his own standing - matter of fact, yet willing to take off to wherever the wind blew, Law was some kind of alien character that Sanji could not imagine ever standing in his shoes.

He felt a little sad, though. If he'd just managed to wrangle his way back sooner, maybe Law wouldn't have felt so lost. Taken up company with that questionable character that willingly carted him far away from his parents. Law had said last night that they'd spent these years living from friend's couch to couch, making money with odd jobs and taking on school through online classes and occasional semesters at some campus in whatever town their ride broke down in. Even though, Sanji had to admit that the freedom sounded incredible compared to his structured life.

Whatever it was that these two shared with each other, it had died somewhere along the way and they were only together for the convenience. Eustass this, Eustass that – Eustass was mad because Law didn't want to drink, Law was mad at Eustass for always choosing tools over practical needs; tinges of resentment and discontent in each story. Sanji remembered thinking it was similar to his situation, and must have said something like that because Law had laughed again.

He'd said, 'Each of us grew up to take on someone different from the one we'd loved – almost like it was better that way than to sully the precious ghost left behind.'

Sanji's chest had tingled at Law's choice of words. He'd replied, ' _Loved_ is a strong word.'

'That's what it was, wasn't it?'

And Sanji had to agree with a nod, not breaking eye contact because maybe it had been. He wanted to get up and try to vomit but he heard the door unlock, open and close. He stayed still, all senses on alert. He had the immediate thought that Ichiji was there just to check on him – Sanji had a flight out this morning, _crap_ what time was it - ? There was no way Sanji could get up in this condition. He was too sick, his ass hurt – _fuck did they even use lube_ what the hell was he even _thinking_ – and what was the point of coming home to an empty house, anyway?

He heard the rustle of plastic, the rub of Styrofoam on Styrofoam – the sound hurt his ears. The smell hit him moments later, and his stomach jumped so he had to stop pretending to be asleep.

"You fucking asshole," he said as he rose up, clutching the blankets tight around him. His modesty demanded that he do so despite whatever kinky shit happened last night. "Did you drug me and take advantage of it?"

Law looked at him with amusement, but he couldn't bear to remove his sunglasses just yet. He ended up wincing moments later, dizzy on his own feet as he pulled cartons apart to reveal greasy Mexican food with two large cups of soda.

"Come eat this," he said. "It'll help. And don't talk so loud, what the fuck."

" _What the fuck_? I'm _married_!"

"Oh? Still? Even after pawning your ring for more drinking money?"

" _Shut_. _Up_."

"Serious. Come eat."

Sanji didn't move. His head whirled. He did not remember _any_ of that, so he was sure Law was lying to him. He looked at the tanline on his left ring finger – he wouldn't do something so irresponsible and uncharacteristic of him. Law glanced at him, crouched carefully and found Sanji's wallet on the floor. He tossed it to him, Sanji seeing that it was overstuffed with a wrinkled paper hanging out from it. Managing to snake an arm through the blankets he clutched tightly, he jerked out the paper to see that it was a receipt. He was horrified to see the pawnshop's name, his own signature at the bottom, the worth of the ring. Blood dropped from his face. He slapped his own forehead with it, struggling to fucking _remember_.

"You can't take it back," Law then added, unleashing a gooey taco from one of the cartons and eating carefully as greasy cheese and shredded meat dripped down in its ascent. "Because you called your mom about it and she was simply _ecstatic_ about a decision she was glad you'd finally made. Shame that you were drunk about it, though, so she asked that I make sure I kept all the receipts."

Sanji stared at him, disbelieving. Law found his phone and tossed it to him. Looking through it with hurried scrolling, he saw that he'd called Sola seven times. Reiju had texted him with happy faces and all caps, encouraging him to do so. Vaguely, the memory of laughing joyously with a bottle in hand came to mind – he remembered admiring this same hand with the ring gone on the ride back to the hotel.

But that was it. That was all that he could think of.

" _Shut up_ ," he repeated numbly, eyes wide.

"So much bitterness and resentment, released by a bottle of Jack," Law commented, speaking stiffly. There were faint traces of his impediment there; caused by his hangover. It wasn't fully dead – just lurking at the edges of his control. He was wincing as he ate, not at all the confident predator he was last night.

Sanji couldn't breathe. His anxiety pounded its way back to front and center, heart racing with uncomfortable strength. No, he couldn't have done all this. This wasn't something he did. He did not lose control of himself. He did not – he _was_ not – the type of man that threw his wedding vows to the wind to some _old boyfriend_ who had a _boyfriend_ of his own – _what the fuck_.

Law staggered over to the bed to him, carrying one of the cartons and one of the soda. Because the bed was so massive, he end up army crawling what distance he could make towards Sanji, holding the soda out dangerously while the carton of food landed messily near Sanji's feet. Sanji sat slowly, cringing as pain made the action unforgiving.

"You fucker," he snapped at Law, who only snickered.

"Almost all night," he commented, lowering the soda to the bed with clumsy action. "My hips hurt."

" _Don't talk about it_!" Sanji screeched, red faced and immediately regretting the noise. He rubbed his head awkwardly, unable to remember a thing. " _Fuck_!"

"I'll take responsibility for it," Law added with a shrug. "I didn't resist too hard, anyway."

" _You did this_!"

"I did, but you wanted it."

"LIAR!"

"They kicked us out of the lounge for being too grabby," Law insisted with another shrug.

Sanji's ears heated, his scalp bursting into an uncomfortable sweat. He _did_ remember the bartender telling them uncomfortably that they had to leave – he only remembered because he had an awkward time climbing off the other man's lap. He _did_ remember the lumbering fumble in the elevator – all the grabby hands, the clack of teeth coming together, the sloppy tongues – he eked out a troubled groan, holding onto his head, pulling the blankets over his face.

"Are you remembering, now?" Law asked, taking a clumsy drink of the soda and spilling some on the duvet.

Sanji closed his eyes as anxiety strummed through him like a hammer. Making his chest tight, his heart race, his brain dizzy. There was no way he could've been so _careless_ , to lose so much control of himself to do something so _stupid_ …

He felt the bed move as Law did, and felt the tip of the straw against his lips. He jerked his head away, sitting back. "Don't fucking touch me," he snapped angrily at the other man. Law watched him, slumping his shoulders as he sat.

He examined the sweating cup with a controlled expression as Sanji sat there with guilt and remorse building up within him, incredulous at his own actions. With a struggle of his own, Law left the bed, sitting the cup aside on the nightstand.

"I knew we were drinking too much, but…I didn't want to leave so soon. I knew you'd wind up regretting it, but I fucking don't," Law said stiffly.

"This was a fucking shitstorm of a mistake!" Sanji breathed out, still incredulous to what had happened. To the consequences that were surely to follow after.

"I understand that," Law said low. "To you it might be. To me…it felt good. To see you like this? To be with you this way? I don't regret it. You can go ahead and hate it and feel what you do, but I won't."

Sanji swallowed tightly. He blinked rapidly, trying to draw his thoughts together properly, to fight the wave of nausea that rose in him. All he could think of was walking away from this with a sense of guilt on breaking his vows, of hurting –

Of hurting _who_?

Pudding had her affairs, she wasn't hiding them. _He_ was the one that chose to stay faithful because that's what the vows demanded, and he'd married for his _father's_ convenience. He was in a place where none of his choices were exactly his own – he was right back where he'd started. Under the control of his own family where his choices were disregarded.

He exhaled shakily, feeling his shoulders loosen their rigidity. Law removed his sunglasses, revealing his own red, swollen eyes caused by last night's heavy drinking. He watched Sanji wipe his greasy alcohol face with the hand that still had his tie around his wrist, causing Law to draw his lips in as he struggled not to remember how that was used in the midst of some pretty heavy passion.

" _Fuck_ ," was all Sanji muttered, regretting it moments later as that same hand rested over his eyes. Law made to say something when Sanji then snapped, "Couldn't you have used fucking lube?"

"You were fine with that stuff from your bag – "

"You should know that, despite my goddamn actions, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, and you should have corrected it! Marriage meant I haven't had any goddamn dick since fucking _high school_ – what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Are you scolding me or insulting me? Because it sounds the same."

Sanji said nothing, drawing the blankets over his head and resettling over the bed. Law was aware of the shift in the air; something in Sanji's mind had changed abruptly, because he didn't seem so angry, now. Just hungover and settling under the weight of his bad decisions. The lump under the blankets moved until he was laying properly atop of the mattress, and Law ventured close to it.

"What time is it?" he heard from underneath the blankets.

"It's past twelve."

" _FUCK_."

"Your flight was this morning, right? I had the room transferred to me in the case you managed to get up and get out."

The blankets shifted slightly. "Well…I missed my flight. But you checked me out of here, right? So Ichiji couldn't find me here if he started looking…"

 _He's_ still _doing that_? Law thought to himself, but it wasn't a surprise to hear it. He nodded before giving a verbal confirmation.

Sanji heaved a sigh, but Law wasn't sure what expression he was making so he wasn't sure how Sanji took that. Instead he heard, "Well, that's that..."

"You'd be going home to an empty house, anyway, right?" Law asked, sitting at the edge of the bed, scratching at his head. He'd heard Sanji's drunken complaints about not feeling loved, about hating how alone he felt being in that house.

It made him think of his own relationship – Eustass was what he wanted, but not what he needed. Both of them were wrong and right for each other when the time was suited. He was positive Eustass wouldn't think to track him down to this hotel, but he still expected that phone to ring bedside. He was surprising, sometimes. Law was sure Eustass would not let him continue to hide away with the money Law had taken from him. If Law willingly went back or if Eustass finally caught up, Law was positive that Eustass would beat the shit out of him like he did the last time Law took off with his debit card and didn't return home for a month. But it would be okay because that was just how they were, and both of them were comfortable unleashing verbal and physical frustration on each other because that was what they were used to doing.

Sanji grumbled something unintelligible, and Law wondered what was going through his mind with his face covered. Minutes passed with the tv running behind him before the blankets shifted until Sanji revealed himself, covering his upper torso with a sheet. He looked at Law with a beaten expression, the tie garish against the stark white sheets of the bed. Law reached out to undo the knot, Sanji holding his arm out to allow him to do so.

"We're not the same, anymore," Sanji said low, his voice raspy. "We're not those kids."

Law wondered where he was going with this, finding it difficult to look at him. A different sort of nausea built up in him, but he was already telling himself that he was grateful for this chance. He'd never expected it to be this way, to have it like this – but there was no way he'd apologize or regret anything. It would have been better sober, though, but he'd take what he could get on the chance of losing it again. He could certainly go back to Eustass without any regret or apology but he supposed Sanji would beat himself up for betraying a woman he didn't even love.

With a firm exhale, Sanji then said, "But we're not _kids_ anymore."

Law looked at him, quite aware that he hadn't let go of Sanji's arm after removing his tie. Once he realized what he was saying, it felt like something caused his breath to catch.

After a few moments, Sanji added low, "I missed you."

Resolved, Sanji pulled his arm out of Law's hand, resettled back into the blankets. A few beats passed before his hand snaked out and he patted the extra space next to him. Not needing another prompt, Law joined him underneath the blankets.

"No hanky panky," Sanji warned him crankily. "I think you had enough of it."

With a low laugh, Law agreed. But it didn't stop him from pulling the naked man close to him, hugging him tightly, feeling as if something had finally filled the missing part inside of him. Sanji settled into his arms with a low grumble about how good Law smelled, his arms slowly moving from being bunched up in front of him to cautiously sliding around Law's waist. They laid there in silence, cocooned by the blankets around them.

Still, Law couldn't help but wonder if this was the 'goodbye' he needed – _they_ needed. A proper parting. He hoped not.

Sanji found himself wondering if the man would disappear again. If this was his one and only chance to say 'goodbye'; with that in mind, he couldn't be angry at the drunken events that had transpired. He had to think positively about this. He closed his eyes, wondering whose heart was beating the hardest between them.

Neither of them could bring themselves to ask so they held on tightly to each other, well aware of impeding forces looming over their thoughts with individual burdens. Time passed by slowly with the digital clock changing faces, as Sanji's phone continued to flash with messages and Law waited for that phone to ring nearby.

But even so, everything felt right because of where they were right now. Just as it had back then, and neither of them wanted to let go. Because of that feeling, that shared sense of clinginess, both of them left the hotel in the early morning hours when their hangovers were manageable and left through the back entrance.

They were adults, now. Things were easier to fall into their favor.

* * *

 **A/N:** A huge THANK YOU to everyone that read, followed and stalked this fic from its very beginnings! This fic was intense from start to finish, and pretty much an emotional rollercoaster! But it's *finished and I'm so happy! Things changed a bit from when my laptop died to picking it up later, but the ending was exactly how I wanted it. I left it as it stands – with so much left unsaid. It feels better that way – it's up to your imagination how it goes afterward. Thank you for reading! Man, it feels sooooo goooooood hitting that 'Complete' button! *joyous bottle pop of wine

 **Akanee Snakes** : Thank you for your kind words! Thank you for reading!

 **Kura** : Hello there! Life is unsteady that way – sometimes unforgiving and sometimes wonderful, and I wanted that reflected in this fic! This is definitely the end of it, and hopefully one can take it positively with so much left unexplored.

 **Harmonica Smile** : A lot of ground covered and more opened for exploration! God, I torture myself because I obviously hate myself T.T lol jk I don't. The pair knew about Skype – but neither could bring themselves to do so because even if, it wouldn't be the same. They grew apart as one naturally would in their circumstances and each of them knew it. It just wasn't possible for them to continue on in this fashion but their future is much different. Hopefully I wounded some things up and unwound others – the ending definitely leaves a lot unsaid and for potential! After all, conclusions never really wind up as the end of it. D:

 **Penumbra** : Life is painful – and I brought it to fic-life! Thank you for hanging on with each chapter, letting me know your thoughts! While this isn't "Take Me Somewhere Nice", because it has a happier ending – yes, in my mind it's happy – it has that same feel. A bittersweet feel, but a gooder one because they did wind up together. Use cucumbers and used tea bags for your eyes! XD

 **Naghi-Tan** : He ends up very happy – both of them do. Well…they _will_ once they get all their troubles resolved. I just kept piling it on. DX

 **Guest** : I did D,: Rosinante knew Law wanted to come back, and knew he would be the reason for it. In the depths of his mind, he had to let go to prevent Law from coming back and being under the influence of Doflamingo; who was just as human, he had his stress and maybe he wasn't doing the right thing to handle it, but losing Roci hurt him, too. (unfortunately, that won't be explored)

 **FireofShandora** : Yes, very suddenly! And Kid doesn't go away that easily (because I love him, too, he'll always pop up in my fics XD) This epilogue gives only a taste of what could be and what could have happened – but it ends here. Because that's a whole lot of mess to sort through and while Sanji and Law are adults and completely different from their teenage years, things would be handled much differently. But that's the thing – they're now in control of themselves with their own actions so the story would be completely different!

 **Artista the Psycho Ink Mistress** : Thank you so much for reading, beginning to end! It was quite a ride! And while characters popped up here and there, it was mainly Law and Sanji's story – and it will continue to be so. Whatever happens after this is up to your imagination (mine has already crafted what ifs and this and that but I'm refusing to write a follow up because I have a TON of stories that needs to be finished DX) Thank you!

 **Nattsubihanabi** : I hope this epilogue felt like a happy ending after all they went through! It kinda is…kinda isn't…but mainly is…I say it is. XD


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